5 Element Healing Practitioner Course 2nd Manual

ReikiEvolution
Professional Healing Courses
Five Element Healing

Practitioner Course
Second Edition, completed in September 2003
Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION ........................................................................................................................................ 4
SECTION 1: BACKGROUND INFORMATION ..................................................................................... 5

BASICS OF TCM .......................................................................................................................................... 6
Breadth of TCM...................................................................................................................................... 6
History of TCM....................................................................................................................................... 6
Basic Components of TCM ..................................................................................................................... 7
THE FIVE ELEMENTS ............................................................................................................................ 10
BASICS OF THE FIVE ELEMENTS ................................................................................................................ 10
Interconnectedness ............................................................................................................................... 11
The Nourishment Cycle ........................................................................................................................ 11
The Control Cycle................................................................................................................................. 11
Diagram: How the Elements Interconnect ........................................................................................... 12
The Complexity of TCM........................................................................................................................ 12
The Complexity of TCM........................................................................................................................ 13
The Simplicity of Five Element Healing ............................................................................................... 13
The Meridian System and 'Organs'....................................................................................................... 13
Diagram: Organ Locations in the Body ............................................................................................... 15
Five Elements Correspondences........................................................................................................... 16
The Emotions of the Elements .............................................................................................................. 16
The Correspondences of the Organs .................................................................................................... 21
Other Correspondences of the Elements .............................................................................................. 29
Table: Correspondences of the Elements ............................................................................................. 33
MYTHIC TAOIST ORGAN JOURNEY ............................................................................................................ 34
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS .............................................................................................................. 37
SECTION 2: EXPERIENCING THE FIVE ENERGIES ...................................................................... 38
FIVE ELEMENT SYMBOLS ................................................................................................................... 39

THE FIVE-ELEMENT SYMBOLS................................................................................................................... 40
The Fire Symbol ................................................................................................................................... 40
The Earth Symbol ................................................................................................................................. 40
The Metal Symbol ................................................................................................................................. 41
The Water Symbol................................................................................................................................. 42
The Wood Symbol ................................................................................................................................. 42
FIVE ELEMENT ENERGY MEDITATIONS........................................................................................ 43
Introduction .......................................................................................................................................... 43
Technique ............................................................................................................................................. 43
Feedback from 'Guinea Pigs'................................................................................................................ 44
SECTION 3: WORKING ON YOUR SELF............................................................................................ 49
FIVE ELEMENT SELF-TREATMENTS ............................................................................................... 50

'HANDS ON' SELF-TREATMENT ................................................................................................................. 50
Wood..................................................................................................................................................... 51
Fire ...................................................................................................................................................... 51
Earth..................................................................................................................................................... 52
Metal.................................................................................................................................................... 52
Water .................................................................................................................................................... 53
Five Element Healing © Taggart King 2001, 2002, 2003 1

'HANDS OFF' SELF-TREATMENT ................................................................................................................ 53
Self-Treatment Case History ................................................................................................................ 55
USING A PENDULUM ............................................................................................................................. 56
Introduction .......................................................................................................................................... 56
'Yes' and 'No' Answers .......................................................................................................................... 56
The 'Neutral' position ........................................................................................................................... 56
Obtaining 'Permission' ......................................................................................................................... 56
Dowsing Chakras ................................................................................................................................. 57
Common Chakra 'presentations'........................................................................................................... 57
Practice ................................................................................................................................................ 57
Dowsing your Elements ........................................................................................................................ 58
SECTION 4: DETECTING ENERGY IMBALANCES ......................................................................... 61
PERCEIVING SOMEONE’S ELEMENTS............................................................................................. 62

INTRODUCTION .......................................................................................................................................... 62
HARA DIAGNOSIS ...................................................................................................................................... 63
DETECTING IMBALANCES THROUGH TOUCH .............................................................................................. 64
Sensing Energies .................................................................................................................................. 65
THE USE OF PENDULUMS ........................................................................................................................... 66
Dowsing someone’s Elements .............................................................................................................. 66
MOVING BEYOND THE PENDULUM ............................................................................................................ 68
VISUAL FACIAL DIAGNOSIS ....................................................................................................................... 69
HISTORY TAKING....................................................................................................................................... 69
CASE HISTORIES ........................................................................................................................................ 69
SECTION 5: BALANCING AND TREATING SOMEONE’S ELEMENTS....................................... 77
BALANCING THE ELEMENTS ............................................................................................................. 78

USING ELEMENTAL ENERGIES TO BALANCE SOMEONE'S ELEMENTS .......................................................... 78
BALANCING THE ELEMENTS AND SELF-TREATMENTS ............................................................................... 79
TREATING THE ELEMENTS ................................................................................................................ 80
WORKING ON ORGAN PAIRS....................................................................................................................... 80
USING ELEMENTAL ENERGIES ON ORGAN PAIRS ........................................................................................ 80
Procedure ............................................................................................................................................. 80
Element 'movements'............................................................................................................................. 81
Intuition ................................................................................................................................................ 81
Treating in the Seated position ............................................................................................................. 84
A SHORT CASE HISTORY........................................................................................................................... 85
CASE HISTORY # 1 .................................................................................................................................... 85
CASE HISTORY # 2 .................................................................................................................................... 88
SUBJECTIVE DIFFERENCES BETWEEN REIKI AND FIVE ELEMENT TREATMENTS ......................................... 89
SUMMARY OF TREATMENT TECHNIQUE ...................................................................................... 91
DIAGNOSING IMBALANCES ........................................................................................................................ 91
BALANCING THE ELEMENTS ...................................................................................................................... 91
WORKING ON ORGAN PAIRS ...................................................................................................................... 92
RECOMMENDED READING ................................................................................................................. 94
APPENDIX ................................................................................................................................................. 95

DOWSING GRID ......................................................................................................................................... 95
FIVE ELEMENT HAND-MOVEMENTS ........................................................................................................... 96
Earth Energy ........................................................................................................................................ 96
Water Energy........................................................................................................................................ 96
Wood Energy ........................................................................................................................................ 97
Metal Energy ........................................................................................................................................ 97
Fire Energy........................................................................................................................................... 97
Practical examples ............................................................................................................................... 98

Introduction
Welcome to Five Element Healing, a precise and focused way of working with energy. It
is a system that you can use on yourself and which you can use on others too.
On this course you will begin by learning about Traditional Chinese Medicine and the
ways that the Five Elements show themselves in our body, minds and emotions. While
this academic knowledge helps us to understand how elemental imbalances show
themselves in our body-mind-spirit, and gives us insights into the likely effects of using
elemental energies, this knowledge is not essential in order to carry out Five Element
Healing effectively. You do not need to have a lot of knowledge to be able to use this
system well.
You will then move on to experience the energy of the five elements by carrying out a
series of energy meditations, and you will learn how to use these energies to produce
balance within yourself.
Next you will learn how to use these energies on other people. Now, if you are going to
balance someone’s elements then first you need to know where the imbalances are, so
we will be covering three methods that you can use to detect energy imbalances. Once
you know where the imbalances are, you can do something about it, so you will learn
how to bring someone’s elements into balance temporarily. When you have done this,
they are stable and ready to be treated, and you will learn how to treat someone’s
elements in order to produce more long-term balance.
This manual is comprehensive and detailed. It provides background theory and explains
the practical stages in an easy-to-understand way. Five Element Healing is simple, and I
hope that you find the techniques presented on this course easy to put into practice. I
wish you luck with them.
With best wishes to you,
Taggart King
Reiki Evolution, 5 Rose Lane, Pincjbeck, Spalding, Lincs. PE11 3RN
Tel: 0845 458 3004 and 01775 722082
E-Mail: taggart@reiki-evolution.co.uk
Web Site: www.reiki-evolution.co.uk and www.five-element.co.uk

Section 1:
Background
Information

Traditional Chinese
Medicine
Basics of TCM
What follows is a very general overview of the principles of Traditional Chinese Medicine
(TCM) and is designed to show the breadth of its theories, and its application in a wide
range of therapies and techniques. For those who would like to investigate this subject in
more depth than can be achieved here, we provide a reading list at the end of this
manual.
Breadth of TCM
Acupuncture, herbal medicine, massage techniques, diet advice and QiGong are all
forms of treatment that are practised in their own special ways. An acupuncturist inserts
needles into specific points in various parts of the body, while a herbalist prescribes a
variety of herbs, pills, powders and tinctures. QiGong uses movement and exercise to
cultivate personal levels of 'chi' and produce balance and health. A Tui Na practitioner
uses direct massage techniques. Dietary therapy consists of advice about what to eat
which the patient is able to put into practice at home. These disparate areas seem quite
unrelated, but there is something that links these outwardly diverse treatments.
The linking thread is the theory of Traditional Chinese Medicine.
History of TCM
TCM has a long history: there is evidence that there was a sophisticated approach to
medical problems as long ago as the Shang Dynasty (circa 1,000 BC). Archaeological
digs have unearthed early acupuncture needles, and discourses on medical conditions
have been discovered inscribed on bones. Early Asian shamanic practices are believed
to be at the foundation of TCM, and the Chinese emphasis on the balancing and
governing forces of nature seem to have developed through the observation of the
natural world.
By the 1st century AD the first and most important classic text of Chinese Medicine had
been completed. The text was probably compiled over several hundred years and based
on the writings of many authors, and takes the form of a dialogue between the legendary
'Yellow Emperor' and his Minister, on the subject of medicine. The 'Inner Classic'
expounds the philosophy of Chinese Medicine and a further section deals with the
benefits of acupuncture, herbs, diet and exercise. Over the following centuries, these
basic writings were expanded upon, and much of the current practice of TCM reflects
traditions that have developed over the last 3,000 years.

Whichever of the above forms of treatment a person chooses to have, the underlying
theory comes from the same root, and this root forms the foundation for a unique
diagnosis of each individual.
Basic Components of TCM

There are three main components of the theory of Chinese medicine that are used in
diagnosis. Together they enable the practitioner to find the exact energetic cause of a
patient's problem.
These are the components:
• Yin and Yang

• The Vital Substances
• The Five Elements
This course concentrates on the five elements and one of the vital substances: Qi. We
will deal with the five elements in detail later, obviously, and here we will just touch on
Yin & Yang and the Vital Substances.
Yin and Yang
One of the oldest classics of Chinese Medicine, 'The Yellow Emperor's Classic of
Internal Medicine' (referred to above) states that:
To live in harmony with Yin and Yang means life.

To live against Yin and Yang means death.
To live in harmony with Yin and Yang will bring peace.
To live against Yin and Yang will bring chaos.
These two fundamental forces of the universe are said to be in opposition yet
interdependent, to consume each other and to transform into each other. Nature is seen
to group itself into pairs of mutually dependent opposites, for example the concept of
'night' has no meaning without the concept of 'day'; 'up' has no meaning without 'down'.
According to the Chinese view, all things in the universe have Yin and Yang aspects,
and though the balance of Yin and Yang will vary, both aspects will always be present.
Each patient has their own particular balance of Yin and Yang, and when people
become ill their balance of Yin and Yang will be affected. Sometimes a person will
become more Yang in nature; Yang is associated with fire and the fire may start to rage
as it is not held in check by the Yin. On the other hand, sometimes a person may have
relatively too much Yin energy which is not held in check by their Yang, and they will
experience symptoms of Yang's association with water.
We do not focus on the idea of Yin and Yang on this course.
The Vital Substances

The cells form the basic structure of the human body as far as Western medicine is
concerned, and physiology is the Western study of the body's 'normal' functioning. The
Vital Substances are their equivalent in Chinese medicine. They describe the main
constituents of a person and the functioning of the vital substances could be seen as
'Chinese physiology'.
These are the vital substances:
• Qi
• The Blood
• The Jing Essence
• The Body Fluids
• Shen (mind-spirit)
Qi is familiar to Reiki practitioners! It is called Ki in Japanese. It is the energy that

underlies everything in the universe. Condensed it becomes matter, refined it becomes
spirit, and everything that is living, moving and vibrating does so because Qi moves
through it. An old Chinese text called the Nan Jing says that "Qi is the root of all human
beings". Ted Kaptchuk describes Qi as 'matter on the verge of becoming energy, or
energy at the point of materialising'. There are many sorts of Qi: Original Qi, Gathering
Qi, Upright Qi, Nutritive Qi, Defensive Qi, Meridian Qi, Liver Qi, Lung Qi and so on and
so on.
We do not need to know about these various kinds if Qi on this course.
Blood in Chinese medicine is not the same as the 'blood' that we think of. 'Blood' is
described by what it does rather than by what it is, and it is seen as the fluid that
nourishes and moisturises the body. It also houses Shen (see later). For example, the
symptoms of 'blood deficiency' include:
• frequent pins and needles or cramps due to malnourishment of the muscles and
tendons
• dry skin and brittle nails due to lack of moistening of the skin
• constant anxiety, poor memory and lack of concentration due to the blood not
'housing' the Shen.
Jing is something that we inherit from our parents and the state of a person's Qi and
Blood depend on this 'essence'. The strength of our Jing determines our constitution, it is
stored in our kidneys, and it allows us to develop from childhood to adulthood to old age.
The Jing that we inherit at birth is all that we have for the rest of our lives, it varies in
amount from one person to another, and most people have an average amount of it. As
we get older, our greying hair and failing memories are signs that our Jing is becoming
depleted.
Body fluids are referred to as 'Jin Ye' in Chinese medicine. The 'Jin' body fluids are light
and watery and are at the exterior of our body. The 'Ye' body fluids are heavier and are
found more inside us. If the body fluids are 'stuck' then the free movement of Qi and
Blood in the body can be obstructed. These body fluids are the most 'substantial' of all
the vital substances in Chinese medicine!

Shen by contrast is the most 'insubstantial' of all the substances in the body, and it can
be said to be a rarefied form of Qi. It could also be said to be our very spirit itself. It is
housed in the heart by the Blood.
Shen, Qi and Jing are called 'the Three Treasures', and together they are seen as the
basis of our health. The Chinese will often use the term 'Jingshen' as a sort of short-
hand term for vitality or vigour, and the term sends us the message that the basis of a
healthy life is a good constitution and a strong spirit.
Alongside Yin and Yang and the Vital Substances, knowledge of the five elements and
their twelve organs is important in diagnosis so that we can understand any imbalance in
an individual.
These latter areas are what this course is all about, and the remainder of this manual
deals with these areas in detail, giving their practical relevance to Reiki practitioners.

The Five Elements
Basics of the Five Elements
The phrase 'five elements' seem to me to be a bit of a misnomer, because it suggests to
me something fixed and solid. But the elements are creative processes, they are forces,
they are phases, functions and movements; they are dynamic, interact with each other in
an endless dance, and manifest or condense in different aspects of our body-mind-spirit.
The Five Elements are different characteristics of nature imprinted on all levels of our
body-mind-spirit. In fact, the philosophical origins of Chinese medicine have grown out of
the tenets of Taoism, which bases much of its thinking on the observation of the natural
world.
Each 'element' is a badge that represents a range of related functions and qualities. For
example, Wood represents active functions that are in a growing phase, Fire represents
functions that have reached a maximal state of activity. Metal represents functions that
are in a state of decline, whereas Water represents functions that have reached a
maximal state of rest and are about to change their direction of activity. Earth represents
balance and neutrality, and can be seen as a 'buffer' between the other phases.
So if we translate these principles into the seasons of the year, then Wood represents
the growth of spring, Fire represents the high activity of summer, Metal represents the
decline of autumn and Water represents the quiet waiting period of winter. Earth is seen
as representing the transition between each season, or can be seen as 'Indian Summer',
the pause that nature takes between the activity of summer (Fire) and the decline of
autumn (Metal).
Over time, a wider and wider range of correspondences has developed: everything from
colours, sounds, odours and taste sensations, to emotions, animals, grains, plants,
planets and even dynasties. The connections between the elements and the anatomical
organs, with the emotions and mental/spiritual states, are the areas that we are most
concerned with in this course. Some of the connections have come through the
application of, for example, the idea of wooden-ness (the dynamic phase) to the physical
body, and some have come through observation. So the emotion anger is associated
with Wood, not because anger is inherently 'wooden' in nature, but because careful
observation of people has shown that disturbances in anger are associated with the
Liver, an 'organ' of Wood.
Ultimately, everything in the universe is Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal or Water.
The Five Phases theory was first set down in a coherent way by Zou Yen (350 BCE -
270 BCE approx.), whereas Yin-Yang theory stretches back into China's distant, distant
past. The Five Virtues or Five Powers were used at that time to arrive at the proper
colours, musical notes and instruments, or sacrifices, that were appropriate to different
dynasties or emperors, and only later became an important part of Chinese medical
thought. The Yin-Yang and Five Phase theories were uncomfortable bedfellows for a
long time, and it was only in the Han Dynasty - which was a time of great eclecticism and

synthesis - that the two systems started to come together in Chinese medicine. The Five
Elements are a working proposition to explain the interconnectedness of all aspects of
our body-mind-spirit, rather than rigid dogma that should be applied in all circumstances.
Interconnectedness
The five elements do not stand alone. They are linked together in an endless cycle, a
fascinating and complicated interplay. What happens to one element can have knock-on
effects on the others. In the diagram below you can see the elements arranged around
the edges of a circle, and explanations that describe two ways in which the elements
interact.
The Nourishment Cycle

Moving clockwise round the circle, the elements give support and nourishment to each
other, rather like a parent giving support and nourishment to an offspring.
So Fire supports Earth, Earth supports Metal, Metal supports Water, Water supports
Wood, and Wood supports Fire. In terms of the natural world, you can imagine that wood
burns to produce fire, fire when it has burnt produces ashes which are earth, deep down
in earth metals can be found, water condenses on metal surfaces, and water nourishes
the growth of wood. These connections are rooted in the observation of the natural
world.
When wood is weak or depleted, fire may become depleted also. The emotion of wood is
anger, and the emotion of fire is joy, so someone who has wood depletion, and cannot
express anger - or suppresses anger - may not be able to fully express joy either. In the
Chinese view of things, the full expression of joy would be accompanied by the full
expression of anger.
The Control Cycle

There is another way that the elements are connected to each other, and you can see
this on the diagram overleaf too. Each element controls another element, rather like a
grandparent giving guidance and advice to a grandchild. In more traditional societies, the
parents would be engaged in working to support the family, while the grandparents' role
was to guide and bring up the children of the extended household.
You can see from the diagram that Fire controls Metal (fire can melt metal), Earth
controls Water (earth can dam a river), Metal controls Wood (an axe can fell a tree),
Water controls Fire (water can extinguish a fire) and Wood controls Earth (wood can be
used to fence off and control an area of land). These connections are again rooted in the
observation of the natural world.
So if Water is too strong, Fire may become depleted. On the other hand, if Water is too
weak, Fire may burn uncontrolled.

Diagram: How the Elements Interconnect
The Nourishment Cycle
(Moving clockwise round the circle)
The Control Cycle

(Follow the arrows: one element controls the other)
FIRE
WOOD
EARTH
WATER METAL

The Complexity of TCM
These descriptions give a hint of the complexity of TCM. If one has a lung problem, most
likely there may be a problem with Metal, and that is the root cause. However, the root
cause may be elsewhere: Metal may be affected because of an imbalance in its
supporting element (Earth) or because of an imbalance in its controlling element (Fire).
TCM searches for the root cause, and so there would be many different sorts of
treatments for what would seem to be the same medical condition.
In fact, what is described above is not the end of the story, because there are two other
ways in which the elements can interconnect. If an element is severely depleted, and
needs more energy than is contained within it, then it may start to drain energy from the
element that supports it. So a long-term medical problem related to Earth may start to
drain, and have a knock-on effect on, Fire, the element that supports it. There is also a
relationship described as a rebellious grandchild, where too much Chi in one element
can start to deplete the element that is trying to control it.
The Simplicity of Five Element Healing

The above demonstrates that there is a great deal of depth in TCM; this is an
understatement! Fortunately, success with Five Element Healing does not depend on
such detail. It does not depend on tricky diagnostic procedures such as the taking of the
six pulses, for example, which is done by acupuncturists to find exactly which meridian is
out of balance, and to determine the precise root cause of a condition.
With Five Element Healing we are bringing all the elements into balance by using their
characteristic energies, and we are flushing through affected elements and their
associated 'organs' to produce balance on all levels, spending more time on the
elements that are most out of balance.
For us, the precise root cause does not need to be determined: we will be balancing it,
and it's knock-on effects, at the same time.
The Meridian System and 'Organs'

Meridians are channels of energy running throughout our bodies, and each meridian is
related to a particular body 'organ' from which it takes its name. There are twelve major
meridians and number of minor meridians related to each organ, and you will have seen
diagrams or posters depicting the course of the various meridians over the surface of the
human body. Although the majority of the meridians are related to physical organs that
we in the West would recognise, not all of them are, and they do not necessarily work on
the same physical basis.
For example, there are two 'organs' that are unknown to Western physiology: the
Pericardium (or Heart Protector) and the Triple Burner, Sanjiao, or Triple Heater. The
Pericardium protects the heart from emotional upsets and 'knocks', and protects us from
external 'attacks' such as infections. The Triple Heater harmonises the organs and
ensures the safe passage of energy and fluids through our bodies; malfunctioning is
seen as causing Chi or body fluids to become blocked in our systems.

The word 'organ' does not have the same meaning in Chinese medicine as we would
understand in the West when we think of the liver or the heart, for example. Each organ
also has a much wider range of associations, characteristics, functions and influence
than the physical organs we perceive in the West, and we are going to look at this in
more detail later on. Each 'organ' functions on all levels of our body-mind-spirit, part of
an overall dynamic energy process.
On this course the meridians and particularly the 'organs' are important because each
organ is allocated to a particular element, so if we want to work on Wood then we can
focus energy on the 'organs' of Wood: Liver and Gall Bladder, and their associated
meridians. We will we be focusing energy on these organs and we will be sending the
organ's characteristic energy through it, intensifying the beneficial effect by making the
'organ' and its meridian resonate at its characteristic frequency. When we work on the
Liver and the Gall Bladder we will be sending Wood energy through those organs, to
produce balance in Wood on a deep level. We will produce balance in all the various
ramifications and associations of Wood: anger, planning, decision-making, the tendons,
the eyes, tears, and so on (see later discussions of the associations of each element).
Usually two organs represent each element, one Yin organ and one Yang organ, one
solid organ and one hollow organ, and listed below are the major meridians/organs and
their associated element. You can also see them depicted in the diagram on the next
page:
Earth Spleen/Pancreas
Wood Liver Stomach
Gall Bladder
Metal Lung
Fire Heart Large Intestine
Small Intestine
(Heart protector) Water Kidney
(Triple Heater) Bladder
The Yin organs are the solid organs: Liver, Heart, Heart Protector, Spleen/Pancreas,
Lung and Kidney. These organs are considered to be deeper in the body and are
concerned with the manufacture, storage and regulation of the fundamental substances.
They each have an emotion associated with them. The Yang organs are hollow: Gall
Bladder, Small Intestine, Triple Heater, Stomach, Large Intestine and Bladder. These
organs are considered to be closer to the surface of the body, and have the functions of
receiving, separating, distributing and excreting body substances.
Interestingly, in the same way that one element supports another in a continuous cycle,
in TCM one organ/meridian can be seen as supporting the next. So the Heart supports
and nourishes the Spleen, and this in turn nourishes the Lungs. The Lungs support the
Kidneys, and these nourish the Liver. The Liver supports the Heart and so on.
There are two other meridians outside the element classification, and they run down the
front and back of the body in the midline. These meridians will be familiar to those
carrying out the microcosmic orbit meditation: The Conception and Governing Vessels.

Diagram: Organ Locations in the Body

Five Elements Correspondences
In this section I want to touch on some of the important correspondences of the
elements, for example the emotions, the 'organs', meridians and the various body parts
connected with each element. The usefulness of this is that if you know that Metal is
reflected in the emotion of grief, represents the lungs and the large intestine, and also
the skin, then you can understand that:
• Constipation may be connected with suppressed grief.

• Helping someone to release suppressed grief can lead to skin condition improving,
as happened a while ago with someone I was working on.
There are many, many correspondences to each element, and some are not so relevant
for our purposes. Please see the reading list if you wish to learn more.
The Emotions of the Elements

In Traditional Chinese medicine there are a number of internal causes of disharmony
that are termed the 'seven emotions'. They are Anger, Joy, Sadness, Grief,
Pensiveness, Fear and Fright. Sadness and Grief, and Fear and Fright, may be taken
together, giving five basic causes of disharmony, one for each element.
In traditional Chinese medicine the emphasis is on balance, so none of the seven

emotions are considered to be 'good' or 'bad' in themselves. What is important is how
they balance. Negative connotations are not placed on anger, or any of the other
emotions of the elements, though Western society tends to frown on the expression of
anger and so this emotion tends to become suppressed, with knock-on effects in other
areas (see later). All the emotions have their place in a healthy individual and they
should be felt and expressed. Most people experience a wide range of emotions that
vary in intensity; some are appropriate and adaptive, others are less so. Too much Joy is
as out of balance as too much Grief, but the disharmony will express itself in a different
way.
In this section I touch on the emotional associations of each element, and then we will
move on to look at more basic characteristics of each element, particularly their
associated 'organs', and the ramifications of these on various levels.

Wood: Anger
The emotion of Wood is anger and aggression, together with the associated feelings of
irritability, hatred, fury and rage, resentment and frustration. Anger and aggression are a
sign of an obstacle in our path, preventing us from growing, and we become frustrated if
we cannot find the space for expression. Anger and aggression are seen as positive
emotions that allow us to overcome impediments to our growth, but irritability, hatred,
rage and fury are seen as signs of a Wood imbalance, and are not healthy emotions.
Rage, for example, can be seen as anger that has lost its purpose and gone out of
control. We speak of 'blind rage'. A person might be continually angry with themselves or
on edge with others, irritable and always wanting to pick a fight with someone. They
might feel 'stuck', paralysed because they are unable to escape their fury. Annoyance
and irritability can also be seen as energies that have yet to be focused.
If a person keeps their rage inside, it can seethe under a cold and polite surface;
underneath there may be a feeling of great frustration or inner conflict, and if the rage
ever broke free there might be dangerous consequences. Such suppressed aggression
also goes hand in hand with suppressed and inhibited sexuality, so healthy sexual
behaviour is seen as related to healthy aggressive behaviour.
Emotional imbalances in Wood can be expressed in different ways. For example,

chronic irritability and unreasonable temper tantrums can be indicative of an excess of
chi in the Gall Bladder. This can cause headaches in the crown and at the temples, and
if this state of rage continues not to be expressed or cleared out then high blood
pressure or Gallstones might result.
A person may exhibit suppressed rage: sarcasm, cynicism, bitterness and a general
inability to become angry. This can be associated with apathy, sluggishness, resignation
and depression, which in themselves are what we might see in a person who has given
up making plans and manifesting goals (some of the other characteristics of the Liver
and the Gall Bladder - see later). Such an outlook may have arisen because a person
has been confronted continually with obstacles to their self-realisation. Continued failure

can lead people to give up, perhaps leading to alcoholism or drug addiction, which are in
themselves injurious to the Liver.
The last two paragraphs represent an excess of Yang energy in Wood, and a deficiency
of Yang energy in Wood respectively. A lack of Yang energy might be caused by too
much Yin energy in the Liver (the Yin organ) or a lack of Yang energy in the Gall Bladder
(the Yang organ). This is where it all gets rather complicated, and for the purposes of
this course, fortunately, we do not need to go deeper into the Yin and Yang
characteristics of the elements, the organs and their emotions!
If over the years a person cannot express and clear their hatred and rage, and turn
these emotions into a positive striving towards goals, then the aggression can turn itself
against the person's own body, leading to gout, arthritis, rheumatism, and other auto-
immune or auto-aggressive disorders. Interestingly, these diseases are more often found
in women, and in patriarchal cultures women have less opportunity than men do to
express themselves, especially when it comes to carrying through with an idea or
venting their anger.
The healthy situation is where anger and aggression can be expressed and then will turn
naturally into joy and love, the emotions associated with Fire, the element which follows
Wood in the endless cycle of the elements.
Fire: Joy
In Chinese medicine the concept of Joy refers more to a state of agitation or over-
excitement rather than our more passive notion of deep contentment, and Joy is related
to the Heart. An imbalance in Fire will show itself as a lack of joy, or joy in excess, and
both are harmful. If someone has an insatiable desire for permanent joy, and this is
pursued relentlessly through work or play, then this can put too much stress on Fire and
lead to, for example, palpitations and high blood pressure. Fire also governs the blood
vessels. Excessive striving for joy is not healthy, and the stress involved may include a
great deal of sexual frustration. An imbalance in fire almost always revolves around a
relationship in the person's life, according to one author.
Since the elements are connected, and Wood supports Fire, a lack of chi in Wood -
leading to suppression of anger - can also lead to a suppression in joy, so a person who
is unable to properly express anger may be unable to fully experience joy.
Earth: Sympathy
Earth expresses itself through compassion, recognition, sympathy and a feeling of love
and unity with one's environment, through a basic feeling that one is welcome and at
home where one is at that moment. There is a self-assurance that does not need to be
proven, an inner security and calmness.
So people with a deficiency in Earth feel insecure, sometimes begging for attention and
affection. Beneath this behaviour lies the belief that warmth and affection could be taken
away or denied. Childhood experiences can lead to this belief becoming established in a
person. In fact, the search for missing security is the driving force and main occupation
of people with a 'weak' Earth. They look for this security in eating or smoking, they might

be overly affectionate - grasping for love - and constantly looking for the security of
motherly love in their relationships. They can hide their fear of abandonment behind a
romantic ideal of love and partnership.
The basic emotion of Earth is sympathy or compassion, so an imbalance in Earth can

show itself in a person who lacks compassion, or who does not seem to enter into
relationships with others. The affairs of others do not seem to touch them very much,
and a critical stance towards others can go hand in hand with this, with harsh
judgements and low tolerance masking an underlying insecurity. Voicing criticisms helps
to build up the person's sense of superiority.
An imbalance could show itself as self-pity and constant whining about one's own
problems, in martyrdom. An example that I read was that of a woman who sacrifices
herself for her husband and children, not treating herself to anything; she can moan and
point to her destiny as the reason for this. Maybe the person would seek sympathy
continually, obsessively, and perhaps even make up symptoms to attract more
compassion towards them. By contrast, they might be unable to receive sympathy
themselves. Whether someone asks for sympathy all the time, or cannot receive it, they
are 'stuck' and aren't able to move easily in and out of the emotion. In a balanced
person, the emotions can flow freely.
So a person with a healthy Earth has an 'inner abundance' from which to give and care
for others, rather like the fullness and abundance that nature displays in late summer.
When this element is deficient, this 'sweetness' can turn into a constant overflow of
'sticky' emotional outbursts, or over-exaggerated generosity which serves to make
others dependent; think of a mother who prevents her children from becoming adults by
limiting their responsibilities and not allowing them to make decisions. Perhaps the
person would be far too sympathetic, to the point of being obsequious.
Metal: Grief
If we follow the analogy of the seasons, and remember Metal's association with autumn,
then we can imagine the state of mind in simple agricultural communities: wondering
how they are going to last the winter as the cold dark days approach. There would be
worries about the future, and Metal imbalance can display itself in just such a worry, but
in an exaggerated form, with perhaps a pessimistic attitude, a hopelessness. By
contrast, a healthy Metal would display trust in life, optimism and a positive view of the
future.
The feeling autumn is sadness, a sadness that fills us when we have to leave something
that has be come precious and dear to us. This feeling is exaggerated in people who are
unable to let go of something that they can never get back. Thus the emotion of Metal is
grief. An imbalance in Metal will show itself as being unable to grieve, suppressing grief,
or in feeling a sense of loss continually, perhaps a sadness about things that have not
yet happened, when we realise that we have not taken advantage of our opportunities.
Grief is a natural and a healthy process, of course, but a person who is overwhelmed by
sorrow is likely to be displaying a Metal imbalance. Someone who is going through grief
may experience breathing difficulties or bowel problems for a while, and sometimes
these problems may persist; we will see later that the Lungs and the Large Intestine are
the 'organs' of Metal.

Our Lungs hold the emotion of Grief, and they are directly involved in the expression of
this emotion: a normal and healthy expression of grief and sadness is sobbing that
originates in the depths of our lungs, deep breaths and the expulsion of air with the sob.
Sadness that remains and becomes chronic can create a disharmony in the Lungs,
weakening Lung chi, and this will interfere with the Lungs' many functions and energetic
processes.
Water: Fear
The emotion of Water is fear, which is a healthy and natural response to dangerous
situations, a normal and adaptive human emotion. We fear something concrete,
recognise the danger in time, and we take action to get away from something that is
threatening to us. Fear ensures our survival.
But anxiety and terror are more intense because they are emotional states where the
threat can't be assessed properly, and in fact the threat may be imaginary. Anxiety exists
when a threat can't be judged correctly, or may no longer exist. We develop anxiety
when we isolate ourselves and we aren't in harmony with things and people around us
any more. Being able to 'resonate' with our environment is a characteristic of Water: to
be soft, to surrender oneself and to not offer any resistance.
So a serious imbalance in Water can show itself as panic attacks, paranoia, a

persecution complex, fear of the dark, a variety of phobias or even a general amorphous
feeling of dread or foreboding, a pervading sense of anxiety about life. We may become
rigid, immovable and paralysed by fear.
Fear involves holding on to an anxiety rather than letting it go and, rather like a river that
has been dammed; one can feel overwhelmed, inundated, sinking into despair. Only
when the anxiety has been released can we move forward.

The Correspondences of the Organs
Each element is represented by a couple of 'organs', and in the case of Fire, by four
'organs' - two of which do not have Western anatomical counterparts. The 'organs' for
TCM purposes are much, much more than what we think of in the West. Each organ has
a number of correspondences attached to it, so when in TCM someone thinks of the
Liver, they are not just imagining the anatomical structure, but also anger - as we have
seen above - and the ability to plan ahead. The 'organs' operate on all levels of the
body-mind-spirit, they are energy fields that resonate throughout our being and exhibit
their characteristics in different ways.
Wood: Planning and Decision-Making
Wood brings forth the desire for movement and growth. Its nature is expansion, growing
in all directions. It brings forth the creative processes of planning and decision-making. It
gives us the desire to undertake a new project, to set sail for new horizons and new
discoveries. Wood is represented by the Liver (yin organ) and the Gall Bladder (yang
organ).
The Liver represents the ability to make plans and to see life on a material level; it
embodies the power of imagination and creative energy that results in growth. It is the
inventor, the discoverer. It sees the meaning of life. It develops the vision, the plan.
Every new idea that we take hold of, every new concept, broadens our horizons. We
take risks and go into the unknown. We grow, and growth or expansion is the essence of
Wood.
You might imagine that when this ability falters then some symptom would arise. For
example, a migraine may appear when Liver energy is out of balance, and you could see
this as frustration with the system because plans were not made or followed. So a

person with a Wood imbalance might say that they felt 'jammed up in the head so that I
can't think, or plan, or do anything'.
Related to the Liver's planning is the Gall Bladder's function in decision making: the
ability to assert our needs in the outer world. If you see the Liver as an architect, then
the Gall Bladder is the builder who makes the decisions and arrangements necessary for
the blueprints to become a reality. Imagine a person who has difficulty in making
decisions, even very little simple ones, and you are thinking of someone with a Gall
Bladder imbalance.
The two functions of Liver and Gall Bladder are very closely connected. Without an all-
encompassing concept, the decisions in day-to-day life are incoherent, and similarly the
best plans and projects are worthless if they cannot be carried out. Depression and
resignation may have their roots in a Wood disorder: the vision is missing, the plan is
lacking, or a person may have many plans and ideas but cannot make them into reality.
Fire: Controlling, Sifting, Protecting and Warming
Fire is the only element that is represented by four organs: the Heart (yin organ) and
Small Intestine (yang organ), the Heart Protector (yin organ) and the Triple Heater (yang
organ). The Heart Protector is also known as the Pericardium or the Circulation Sex and,
along with the Triple Heater or Sanjiao, has no physical Western counterpart.
The movement of Fire is vertically upward, from deep in the earth up into the sky, from
the material to the spiritual, from unawareness to consciousness. On the mental-
emotional level, Fire brings out joy, dancing, laughter, awareness, and the ability to have
an encompassing view of things.
The Heart can be viewed as a 'supreme controller' overseeing the workings of the body-
mind-spirit, and in Japanese acupuncture writings the Heart is seen as so sacred that it
is not treated directly. An imbalance in Heart energy is like chaos ruling in a kingdom,
with a lack of peace and harmony, and leads to feeling a kind of inner panic and loss of
control. The Heart is seen as the centre of consciousness, feelings and thoughts, and is
one of the places where 'Shen' resides.
Shen can be translated as spirit or soul. A person is said to 'have spirit' and this gives an
idea of what is intended by the word Shen. Shen lives in the heart, its Lower House, and
here it makes sure we have balanced feelings and a clear, honest way of speaking. Its
higher house is the third eye chakra, where it brings forth clarity of thought and a
conscious life direction. When a person has these characteristics, then their Shen is
powerful and healthy, and it is said that you can se this by a sparkle or light in the eyes.
If Shen is confused or lacking in energy then it is noticeable in unclear thinking or an

inability to organise thoughts, in speech defects like lisping, stammering, stuttering or
even muteness. It produces emotions full of highs and lows: one minute you are
shouting for joy and the next you want to die. This description would fit with hysteria and
manic depression also. A dispersed and confused Shen shows itself in nervousness,
fearfulness, stage fright, insomnia and dull, unfocused eyes, all caused by a disturbance
in Fire.

If there is too much energy in the Heart then there can be talkativeness, excessive
perspiration and nervous tension. People believe that they must do everything
themselves and not delegate, they must keep control of everything and they are
incapable of letting other people take responsibility. This behaviour equates with the
'Type A' personality - manager sickness - with its stress-related illnesses from high blood
pressure to heart attacks. This imbalance is usually connected with an energy deficiency
in Water, the element that controls Fire.
On the other hand, when the energy in the Heart is weak, a person may become unable
to express themselves clearly, or it may result in partial or total muteness, and a dulled
or non-functional sense of taste in both the gastronomical sense and in terms of the
psyche.
The Heart Protector, or Pericardium, is seen as a 'buffer' that takes the bumps and
bruises that would otherwise go straight to the heart and disturb the integrity of the body-
mind, so the Heart Protector allows the 'supreme controller' to carry on its work without
interruption. It works as a bodyguard. On an emotional level, the Heart Protector helps to
protect the 'emotional' heart, and it brings out the ability to be generous to oneself and to
others, to radiate warmth and to love. It also affords us the ability to give and the ability
to accept complaints, criticism and love from others. A healthy Pericardium produces a
person who is able to speak from the heart and be cordial and affectionate, enthusiastic,
humorous and 'hearty'. The opposite of this can be seen in someone who is 'cold-
hearted' or small-minded, someone who has a 'heart of stone'.
On a physical level, the Pericardium meridian would be treated when there were
problems like heart pains, angina, tachycardia, heartbeat irregularities or circulatory
problems. The Heart Protector governs the 'pulse of life'.
The Small Intestine can be seen as separating the pure from the impure, sorting and
grading and redistributing, and this is seen as happening on all levels. The Small
Intestine sorts particles of food: keeping those with nutritional value and passing on the
rest as waste, but you can also see this process carrying on at the emotional level, and
at the mental level, with the sorting and sifting, the assimilation, of ideas and thoughts.
An energy deficit in the Small Intestine is displayed in a person who takes in knowledge,
convictions and beliefs from others in an 'undigested' form, and they are unable to
develop personal views and belief systems out of this. It is said that the appearance of a
person who is able to assimilate is displayed through a fine, silent laughing in the eyes
and around the lips.
If this organ is out of balance, then we may see symptoms that express confusion of the
body-mind. For example, hearing difficulties could be seen as an ability to sort sounds
effectively, and digestive problems could be seen in a similar light.
None of the elements exist in isolation, separate and unaffected by the others, so if there
is an absence of proper sorting, if there is unclear information coming through, then
decision-making is going to be affected (the realm of the Gall Bladder).
The functions of the Triple Heater are closely connected with those of the Heart
Protector; in fact it is 'assigned' to the Pericardium. Again it does not have a Western
physical counterpart, and its functions are protective. It is the most complex of the
'organs'. The Triple Heater's function is to guard all the body's organs and control their

temperature. The torso is seen as being split into three 'burning spaces' or 'burning
cavities', with each space corresponding to certain organs. The upper space contains
the Heart and Lungs, the middle space contains the Stomach, Spleen, Gall Bladder,
Liver and Small Intestine, and the lower space contains the Large Intestine, Bladder and
Kidneys. Thus the upper space is concerned with respiration, the middle with digestion,
and the lower with elimination and reproduction. The Triple Heater co-ordinates these
three areas of the body. For example, it co-ordinates the depth and frequency of the
breath in relation to digestion and sexuality, it maintains the body's temperature at
optimum levels within the three burning spaces, so that the organs can carry out their
functions in harmony.
Because the Triple Heater is so complex it is the easiest to bring out of balance, and in
Acupuncture the Triple Heater would be considered whenever there was an imbalance
in the energy of one of the organs, otherwise the cause of an illness might be
misdiagnosed.
In Five Element Healing we are not working on the level of dealing with energy
imbalances in a particular organ, but we focus on bringing balance to each element in its
entirety. By balancing an element and flushing its energy through its organs, we are
bringing its organs into balance, and bringing balance to the other correspondences of
that element. By balancing Fire, and flushing Fire Energy through its organs, we will be
bringing the Triple Heater into balance without having to consider it specifically, though
we will focus energy on it, and the Heart Protector, using intent.
Finally, what does balanced Fire bring to us? Well, when the Fire element is balanced in
a person, summer brings us joy and fulfilment. We have an inner balance from which to
oversee events, we know when to speak and we know when to remain silent. We can
feel joy without becoming excessive. We can steer and lead others, while knowing when
the time is right to pull back. Our eyes glow, we know goodness and magnanimity, and
we have good taste.
Earth: Distribution and Ripening
Earth represents the time of year of harvesting, sorting, collecting together and storing.
While spring looks forward, and summer enjoys the pleasures of the present, late
summer - Earth - looks back at what was, and processes it. Earth is the pause between
the upward and outward movements of Wood and Fire, and the inward and downward
movements of Metal and Water that follow it. Earth is also the transition between each
season or phase, the time for looking inside and collecting oneself; Earth's direction is
horizontal, a closed circle.
On a mental level, Earth can be described in terms of the late summer: gathering,
processing, selecting, mental nourishment, survival, and gaining the wisdom that gives
us the security to deal with difficult situations in life.
The Spleen-Pancreas holds qualities like logical thinking, a rational intellect, the ability
be critical, the ability to think things over, and a good memory. The downside of the
Spleen-Pancreas is represented by worrying about a thousand and one things, brooding
over the past, and indulging in reminiscences.

An 'over-stimulated' Spleen can show itself in greed for knowledge and the latest news,
and an addiction to reading. The most characteristic example of this is the person who
accumulates knowledge about detailed areas of human life. This is the type of
knowledge that specialists have: concentrated without seeing the context, the
connection to the bigger picture. Another characteristic of an excess energy in the
Spleen is seen in the person who can't stop thinking, who has to think through and
consider everything.
Yet another example would be the one-sided advocates of science and reason, people
who judge and reject every other way of looking at things. These people are said to
compensate for a deficit in Earth by mentally clinging to an apparent security in the
logical verification of things. Compulsive behaviour, fixed ideas, obsessions and a
passion for collecting that has become obsessive, also represent an excess of energy in
the Spleen.
It is interesting at this point to note that it is not only desirable to have balance between
the elements, but to also have balance within an element. The energy in earth has to
express itself on many levels: physical, mental, emotional etc. If a person takes up a
huge amount of energy in digestion and nourishment then there will not be a great deal
of energy left over for thought and reflection. If lots of Earth energy is used up in
intellectual activity, then there will be a deficit on the emotional level, leading to a lack of
compassion. Excessive intellectual activity can also produce problems on the physical
level, with allergies, menstrual problems, stomach ulcers or metabolic disorders.
The Spleen and the Stomach are good examples of the way that Chinese medicine
interprets the idea of an 'organ' differently from Western medicine, even on an organic
level. The 'Spleen' for example is seen as encompassing the part of the Pancreas that
produces digestive enzymes used in the Duodenum. The 'Stomach' is seen as including
the duodenum and the first six inches of the Small Intestine, which is why digestion,
nourishment, assimilation and absorption are classified under the heading of 'Earth'. The
'Spleen' also represents the lymphatic system: nodes, vessels, tonsils and thymus, it
represents the red bone marrow and the mucous membrane of the intestines, since they
have a large lymphatic component. So the idea of 'nourishment' also extends to
providing oxygen - via the red blood cells - to every cell in the body.
So the 'Spleen' oversees the transportation of water from the tissues back into the
bloodstream, the absorption of fat from the intestine into the lymph system, the
production of white blood cells and the storage and breakdown of red blood cells. The
Spleen is the 'mother organ' of the whole body. It regulates the distribution of water and
blood, it nourishes the body, and it maintains the integrity of the body through the
immune system. It is also seen as responsible for fertility, pregnancy and birth, together
with the Kidney and the Uterus (an extraordinary organ that is not assigned to an
element). The breasts are assigned to Earth.
The Spleen is important, and can be seen as being responsible for distribution, and the
transport of energy throughout the body-mind. If there is a Spleen-Pancreas imbalance
then other parts of the body-mind wouldn't get the energy they need, and for this reason
it is said that the 'five viscera' all get their breath of life from the 'Spleen'.
The Stomach can be seen as the organ that receives nourishment, integrates it and
brings it to fruition, and then passes on the food energy to be distributed by the Spleen.

The Stomach is almost the most important function in the body-mind because our
energy feeds from it, and it takes in every aspect of our lives.
If there is a Stomach imbalance then we cannot get the proper benefit from what we take
in, whether this is food for our body or food for our mind. What we take in won't be
utilised properly. If we can't get energy from our food properly then we will feel weak,
lethargic, we will de depleted and debilitated. Obviously, many digestive problems are
associated with an Earth imbalance.
So in practice, Earth imbalances could show as various disorders of the digestive

system like indigestion, gastritis, gastric or duodenal ulcers, incomplete digestion,
pancreatitis, diarrhoea and constipation. The immune system could display allergies,
auto-immune diseases, immune deficiencies, a tendency towards illness, menstrual
problems, infertility, pain and swelling in the breasts, inflammation of the mammary
glands, problems with lactating, skin diseases, oedema, as well as diseases of the
lymph nodes and lymphatic vessels.
On a different note, disturbances in the natural rhythm of life point to an Earth

imbalance. The rhythms of sleeping and waking, of appetite and digestion, breathing, the
menstrual cycle would all depend on a balanced Earth. In early Chinese writings on the
five elements, Earth was in the centre, and Wood, Fire, Metal and Water were arranged
around it. Not only that, but there were medical and spiritual schools based on handling
every physical and spiritual complaint by bringing Earth into balance in a variety of ways
encompassing the use of herbs, massage, acupuncture focusing on the Spleen and
Stomach meridians, and mental and physical exercises.
Metal: Receiving and Waste Disposal
Metal, the element of autumn, represents concentration, condensation, drawing in; Metal
is concentrated energy, the opposite of Wood. Metal is represented by the Lungs and
the Large Intestine, the 'organs' responsible for energy transfer on all levels; they receive
and they release.
The Lungs receive chi from heaven and replenish us. The Lungs are the receivers of
energy, taking it from the outside into ourselves. We receive on all levels, so we breathe
emotionally and not just physically. In the Hindu tradition, the essence of breath is called
prana which is of course analogous to the Chinese qi, and breath control is an important
part of meditation techniques, where our breath is our connection to the universe. With
each in-breath we take in energy from the universe, and with each out-breath we release
toxic substances, creating space for new energy production.
If we follow thoughts of breathing a little further, we can imagine a couple of different

sorts of people. In the first category are those who breathe in too much and breathe out
too little. They strut around with inflated chests, they hold on tightly to what they have,
and they cannot let go and relax. In the second category are those who breathe out
more than they breathe in. Their chests are collapsed and they are continually lacking in
energy. They constantly look needy.
The Large Intestine is rather like the dustbin man and its function is to store and
dispose of waste. It can also be seen as the generator of evolution and change. If there
is an imbalance in this organ then the rest of the system is put under strain, waste

begins to accumulate and the other organs are put under more pressure. Symptoms
such as feeling bloated, swelling, constipation, emotional 'stopping up', bad acne and
boils, headache and stuffy nose, can all point to a Large Intestine imbalance. These
descriptions are on a physical level, but the Large Intestine is seen as working on all
levels of the body-mind-spirit. If a person is unable to let go then they will be constipated
and stagnate on all levels, so the Large Intestine is just as important as the Lungs in
terms of our 'connection to heaven' (heaven is a synonym for our mental and spiritual
world). We can only grasp fresh ideas and think new thoughts if we can let go of mental
waste and obsolete mind patterns. So on the mental level, the Large Intestine represents
clarity of thought and the power of discernment, the striving for intellectual quality.
Since Metal represents our energetic connection with the universe, a Metal imbalance
can show in a person as an inadequate bond to one's environment. Imagine a person
who is lonely and withdrawn, who seems hard, cold and isolated from their surroundings.
They show little feeling. These people have a Metal imbalance.
Sometimes the imbalance can show in people who have high ideals, striving for
something that they can never achieve. Some may follow religion in a fixed and
dogmatic way. They are intent on getting to heaven, know how to purify themselves, and
want to convert others to their beliefs. However, and this is an important point, they are
unable to let themselves go sufficiently to receive the spiritual quality of the essence of
Metal. Too shallow breathing and too little excretion increase the desire for inner and
outer purification, and we can think of cleanliness and hygiene fanatics, and highly
dogmatic followers of a religion, as compensating for this Metal disturbance through their
behaviour. Metal's striving for intellectual quality can turn into a rigid outlook, intolerant
Puritanism, religious fanaticism, a type of spirituality that is lacking in enthusiasm or
warmth, or spontaneity. These characteristics are typical of many religions,
unfortunately.
The essence of Metal is not easy to deal with. Metal is concentration, letting go, grief,
going within, leaving the world. At the same time Metal is our connection to the
environment, to our vitality, to heaven. Often we need to go deeper within to perceive a
deeper connection that is not visible in our daily lives. Only when we let go can a space
be created in which the old can die and the new can be born, completing the circle. By
letting go of our outer form our essence can be revealed.
Water: Vital Essence and Elimination
Water represents Winter: life has withdrawn into the ground, the power of life lies
dormant in the seeds; we are in the period between death and rebirth. The characteristic
of Water is sinking below, moving downwards, reaching the lowest level. Its energy is a
vertical flow to the centre of the earth; Fire draws up to the heavens and Water pulls us
down to the depths, and on a spiritual level Water leads the soul and life back to its
origins, to a deep consciousness, to the central core. "The river picks up the stream and
leads it back to the sea".
In the body, Water manifests itself as the Kidneys and the Bladder, which - like all the
'organs' - are present at all levels of our body-mind-spirit.
The Kidneys are the storehouse of our vital essence, or basic constitution, something
that we receive from our parents and our distant ancestors: our Ancestral Energy, an

energetic 'genetic code' if you like. Imagine the seed that represents the potential for
development, compressed into a tiny space. The Kidneys are the guardians of this
essence. On a practical level, symptoms such as lethargy, a lack of acuity or perception,
wishy-washy behaviour, and aching in the lower part of the abdomen, all point towards a
lack of vital essence.
In Western medicine the Kidneys are responsible for dealing with water, which
constitutes 65% of our body weight, and in Oriental medicine the Kidneys can be seen
as the controller of the water supply in agricultural communities, a highly honoured
position. The Kidneys continually purify the organism through the filtration of water. They
do not provide nourishment (Stomach and Pancreas), they do not supply us with life
energy (Lungs), but there is no bodily function that cannot be carried out without water.
Water picks up waste products, prevents stagnation, it makes movement, freshness and
the 'fluidity' of the body possible. The kidneys regulate the amount of water we have in
our bodies and so a Kidney imbalance can show up in a variety of different ways, for
example in swelling and bloating, difficulty in urinating, and inability to digest food.
Inner secretions require water, and digestion requires water when food is taken in and
converted into a 'pulp' (this is where the phrase "Kidneys, Passage to the Stomach"
comes from). The Kidney is also referred to as the 'gateway to the stomach' because the
vital essence is seen as contributing to the rotting and ripening function of the Stomach,
the bringing to fruition and the assimilation. Thus the Kidneys support the stomach in its
job. Water moistens the body's orifices: the eyes, nose, mouth, ears, anus and sexual
organs. It is necessary for temperature regulation - through perspiration - and for the
maintenance of joint and muscle fluids.
The Kidneys are responsible for regulating the body's salts and minerals, and this hints
at Water's connection with bones. Our nervous system can only function properly when
the body's fluids have the right composition of salts and minerals, and the proper
functioning of our muscles depends on this too. The brain and the spinal cord are in fact
assigned to Water, and in ancient texts the brain is called the 'Sea of Marrow'. In
Chinese medicine the Kidneys are considered as important as the Heart because they
maintain the internal environment; the Kidneys are the basis of life.
TCM sees two distinct aspects of the Kidney: the yin-Kidney and the yang-Kidney, with
the former corresponding the functions that we would be familiar with in Western
medicine. The yang-Kidney corresponds to the endocrine system: the adrenal glands,
the sex glands, the islets of Langerhans in the Pancreas, the thyroid, the thymus and the
pituitary. Of the hormones produced by the adrenal glands, the androgens exert a direct
effect on libido, and adrenaline, noradrenaline, cortisol and aldosterone regulate blood
pressure and the balance of fluids in our body. Interestingly, the adrenal glands produce
hormones that mediate our fight-or-flight response: our biochemical response of fear, the
emotion of Water.
The Bladder is not just seen as an organ of storage and elimination, but works with the
Kidney in storing the vital essence. The Bladder is flexible and adaptable in its ability to
store a little or a great amount without discomfort, and this flexibility and adaptability
appears on all levels. So someone who tends towards depression, or feels unable to
cope with life situations, or someone who fears change, may have a Bladder imbalance.

Water holds the deepest secrets of life. When we accept the power of Water we become
quiet inside and the surface of the lake becomes smooth. In this inner quiet, the world of
dreams and the unconscious begins to open up. Water is the element of the deepening
of self and meditation. If one is at home in the depths then one can meet the storms on
the surface calmly. With Water - more than any other element - we come across that
which has no name: the Tao.
Other Correspondences of the Elements

Each Element has associated with it a sense organ, a body part, an orifice, a physical
manifestation, and a variety of other aspects, for example a colour, a taste, and a time of
day. An imbalance in an element can show itself as a characteristic symptom in one of
these areas. In the following section I am just going to touch on a few of these.

Wood:
The Eyes are represented by Wood, so an eye problem could be associated with an
imbalance in the Liver and Gall Bladder: blindness, short- or long-sightedness,
astigmatism or any sort of distorted vision. These organs are associated with planning,
judgement and decision-making, and you could say that it takes vision and sight to be
able to make proper decisions.
Headaches at the crown, temples or behind the eyes are characteristic of Wood
imbalance.
Since Wood governs cycles of growth, Wood imbalances can cause irregular or painful
menstruation or premature birth, in growth disorders in childhood or puberty, and in
cancer.
A healthy Wood element grows out in all directions, so imbalance may show itself in
symptoms that only occur in one side of the body or in diseases where there is lack of
co-ordination in the muscles, or glands or organs. Wood has an important role in co-
ordinating the right and left hemispheres of the brain, and an imbalance can be
expressed in psychiatric and neurological disorders, in Schizophrenia, and in some
forms of epilepsy.
Finally, Wood is associated with the sound of Shouting, not surprising when you think of
its connection with anger and aggression, so a person who always talks in a kind of
shout, aggressive and forceful, is showing a Wood imbalance.
Fire:
The Ears are represented by Fire, and so the Heart, the Small Intestine, The Heart
Protector and the Triple Heater are all involved in hearing. The Small Intestine would be
involved in sorting sounds, and so ringing in the ears and deafness could be related to a
Fire imbalance. These are more organic things, but a Fire imbalance could also be seen
in someone who has difficulty in listening to others. Interestingly, the four Fire meridians
are found near the ears.
The Tongue is the sense organ of Fire, so a speech impediment may be related to an
imbalance in Fire, and this has already been discussed in more detail earlier. Fire also
governs the maintenance and regulation of the entire circulatory system, so arteries and
veins are the 'tissue' of Fire, and so are the Heart, Pericardium (the Western anatomical
structure), the capillaries and all the hormones and regulatory mechanisms that are
involved in the control of circulation. Thus an imbalance could be represented by
hardening of the arteries, varicose veins, cold hands and thrombosis.
In ancient times the Pericardium was seen as an organ of Water, as a 'Yang-Kidney',

and even now is seen as occupying a special central position between Kidney and
Heart, between Water and Fire, between the upper and lower poles of a person. The
significance of this is that in Chinese medicine it is seen as desirable to maintain a
balance between left and right, above and below. In Western civilisation we have come
to value the upper pole, to value Fires associations with love, speech and intellect.
These are more treasured than the depths of Water, with its sexuality, meditation and

sinking into the archaic levels of the soul. A balanced Pericardium forms a bridge
between Water and Fire, allowing us to experience a fulfilled sexuality that brings forth
joy and laughter. If the Pericardium is balanced, and chi can flow properly, then we feel a
deep connection between sexual lust and love, and we are able to freely give and
receive.
Though the Heart and Pericardium are both Yin organs, they are very different in their
functions: the heart is responsible for inner matters like clarity of thought, speech,
responsibility and motivation, whereas the Pericardium is responsible for blood
circulation, heartbeat and heart rate on the physical level. Because of this, cold hands
and feet are an indication of a lack of energy in the Pericardium, as is the person who
has little warmth. Such people do not find much joy in sexuality, the stingy people who
have a difficult time giving, people who need a long time to thaw, and closed people who
do not laugh.
Earth:
Earth is represented by Flesh - the connective tissue and fat tissue - and a wasting
disease may be due to an Earth imbalance. The state of the flesh reflects the Earth
element. Earth also represents muscle. Since Earth is also related to the Mouth, many
mouth diseases can be related to an Earth imbalance and practitioners of TCM can
assess the condition of the Stomach and Spleen by looking at the lips.
Since Ideas and Opinions are associated with Earth, then someone who is displaying
extreme dogmatism, or who is unable to create ideas or conclude thoughts, may have
an Earth imbalance.
The colour yellow is associated with Earth, so if a person seems to have a subtle yellow
hue coming from their face then this is indicative of an Earth imbalance. It is beyond the
scope of this course to teach Oriental Visual Diagnosis, and it is unnecessary for our
purposes.
Metal:
The Nose is associated with Metal, and so a limited or non-existent sense of smell can
be associated with a Metal imbalance. The Chinese imagine an elemental spirit of Metal:
an animal instinct that gives us the ability to 'smell' danger, to sense how other people
are thinking and feeling about us, and to foresee future events. It is our sense of smell
that allows us to differentiate between foods, people and surroundings that are good, or
bad, for us. The connection with the Lungs is obvious and, interestingly, the Large
Intestine Meridian is close to the nose.
A related correspondence is that of Mucus, and Metal governs the secretion of mucus by
mucous membranes, and particularly in the breathing passages. So a dry throat,
coughing, dry throat etc. are associated with a Metal imbalance, as are a persistent
nasal drip and blocked sinuses.
The themes of breathing, and the disposal of waste, are continued in Metal's association
with the Skin. We are in contact with our environment through our skin, symbolic of the
way that Metal connects us to the Universe. The skin is said to reflect the condition of

the lungs, and it is not uncommon in Western medicine to see skin problems like
eczema (skin problem) associated with asthma (lung problem). Psoriasis and rashes
would be connected, as would acne, boils and pimples, which are all related to the
accumulation of and getting rid of waste products through the skin. In a wider sense, we
show our attitudes towards other people by allowing them to touch us, or by avoiding
contact with them. We are 'in touch' with nature only as long as we enjoy the sensation
of the wind, the coolness of water, the warmth of the sun and the feeling of the earth and
plants.
The time of day for Metal is 0300 hrs - 0700 hrs. If we were to get up with the dawn, then
this would be the time when we would start the day with some deep breaths, and
defecation would take place quite naturally during these 'Metal' hours. Energy cultivation
techniques like Tai Chi would be done in local parks when the sun is rising, in the fresh
air.
Water:
The elemental spirit of Water is our will power, our will to survive, our sexual drive. It
represents the vitality with which we master life. This spirit - called Zhen - can unfold
when the organism is flowing freely, fresh and clean inside, and when the hormonal
system is functioning effectively so the metabolism is finely tuned. In these
circumstances power and vitality can develop. This power shows itself in supple body
movements, flexible joints, sexual potency, strong bones and healthy teeth, a silky shine
to the hair, good hearing, a tremendous urge for action and activity, and a healthy ability
to adjust to the demands of circumstances.
Balance within Water depends on the relative strengths of the yin and yang Kidneys.
When the yang energy is weak, or when the yin Kidney is relatively strong, then the will
to live, vitality, and sexual drive decrease. The results may be a general weakness,
impotence, frigidity and paralysing fear. When the yang Kidney is dominant then you
may find a person who is constantly in a hurry, or a person who exhibits rigid behaviour
and body movements. This rigidity shows itself mainly in the lower back, the sacro-iliac
joints and the back of the legs (along the course of the Bladder meridian). Symptoms of
this rigidity are such things as hollow back, disk problems in the lumbar area, sciatica,
lumbago and bladder infections.
Other signs of a Water imbalance are kidney stones, kidney and urinary tract infections,
bone diseases, loss of hair, some types of watery diarrhoea, menstrual disorders,
insomnia, and constantly cold hands and feet.
In fact a lot of sexual functions depend on balance in Water: the health of reproduction
and the workings of the testicles and ovaries for example.
The Ears are connected with Water, though we have already spoken about the effect of
Fire, and the Small Intestine's sorting functions, on hearing. Water is more related to the
sense organ itself and the semicircular canals. For this reason vertigo, lack of balance
and dizziness can represent a Water imbalance, as well as middle ear infections.
The time of day for Water is 1500 hrs - 1900 hrs. A person with a Water imbalance might
feel that this time of day is their best, when they feel more alive than usual, but more

likely it might be the time of day when the person feels at their lowest ebb. There may
also be an urgency to urinate during this period.
Table: Correspondences of the Elements

Correspondence Wood Fire Earth Metal Water
Organs Liver Heart Spleen Lungs Kidneys
Gall Ht Protector Stomach Lge Intestine Bladder
Bladder Sml Intestine
Tr Heater
Emotion Anger Joy Sympathy Grief Fear
Colour Green Red Yellow White Blue
Season Spring Summer 'Indian Summer' Autumn Winter
Time of Day 2300-0100 1100-1300 0700-0900 0300-0500 1500-1700

(L) (H) (S) (L) (B)
0100-0300 1300-1500 0900-1100 0500-0700 1700-1900
(GB) (SI) (Sp) (LI) (K)
1900-2100
(HP)
2100-2300
(TH)
Flavour Sour Bitter Sweet Pungent, Salty
Spicy
Orifice Eyes Ears Mouth Nose Urethra
and Anus
Fluid Secretion Perspiration Saliva Mucus Saliva
Sense Organ Eyes Tongue Nose Ears
Climate Wind Hot Dampness Dryness Cold
Sound Shouting Laughing Singing Weeping Groaning
Body Parts Tendons Blood Muscle Skin and Bones and
and Vessels Body Hair Bone
Ligaments Marrow
External Physical Nails, Complexion Flesh Skin and Head Hair
Manifestation Hands and Body Hair
Feet
Power: the for Control for Sadness for Belching to Cough to Create
Capacity … and Grief Trembling
Smell Rancid Scorched Fragrant Rotten Putrid
Life Aspect Spiritual The Spirit Ideas and Willpower
Faculties Opinions and
Ambition

Mythic Taoist Organ Journey
By Robert-Louis Abrahamson, Reiki Master
To give you a slightly different ‘take’ on the elements, here is a passage given to me by a friend
and Master student of mine…
Here are some poetic passages to carry along during the journey around the organs, through the
seasons, into new life.
1. We start with the lungs, autumn, the time of dryness, when the trees lose their leaves. The
element is metal — let’s picture the axe cutting away at things. This axe can be seen as a symbol
of the truth that we’re about to encounter. John the Baptist speaks of the axe as an instrument of
truth, associated with the symbolic death through water of baptism and preparing for the advent
of Christ, associated in turn with the fire and wheat that we’ll encounter later in this journey:
And now also the axe is laid unto the root of the trees:
therefore every tree which bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into
the fire.
I indeed baptise you with water unto repentance:
but he that cometh after me is mightier than I,
whose shoes I am not worthy to bear:
he shall baptise you with the Holy Ghost, and with fire:
whose fan is in his hand,
and he will throughly purge his floor,
and gather his wheat into the garner;
but he will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.
(Matthew iii.10–12)
The negative emotion in this first stage is sadness, or grief. We are in “that time of year”
Shakespeare evokes in Sonnet 73:
That time of year thou may’st in me behold

When yellow leaves, or none, or few, do hang
Upon those boughs which shake against the cold,
Bare ruin’d choirs, where late the sweet birds sang.
The positive emotions are courage, surrender, letting go. And here we can connect to Shelley's
“Ode to the West Wind”:
Make me thy lyre, even as the forest is:

What if my leaves are falling like its own!
The tumult of thy mighty harmonies
Will take from both a deep, autumnal tone,

Sweet though in sadness.
This poem opens us to welcome this autumnal grief and concludes with the famous hopeful line:
If winter comes can spring be far behind?

2. Next we move to the kidneys, the organs associated with winter. Here the negative emotion is
fear and the positive one can be gentleness, but can also be alertness and stillness. Now we
know where we are: here's the realm of mindfulness. The colour here is deep blue or blackness
— the mystery of the unknown. The element is water — the feminine element. So here we are
deep in the feminine world of chaos, darkness, cold, wetness, confusion — "O no! must be the
Season of the Witch", as Donovan sang. Of course we face fear at this point. But if we're going to
stay with this alchemy of transformation, we must be still and alert, just paying attention not trying
to comprehend, just being open in the midst of the meaninglessness.
I think of two poems in this connection. First there's Donne's “Hymn on St Lucies Day” (December
21 — the winter solstice). Here’s a world of darkness and stillness with all the masculine energy
and sap “spent” and “sunke”:
’Tis the yeares midnight, and it is the dayes,

Lucies, who scarce seaven houres herself unmaskes,
The Sunne is spent, and now his flasks
Send forth light squibs, no constant rayes;
The worlds whole sap is sunke.
Emily Brontë gives us another angle on this, connecting the winter cold and dark with immobility
and stillness:
The night is darkening round me

The wild winds coldly blow
But a tyrant spell has bound me
And I cannot cannot go.
I like that sense of immobility. That's just it. We seem stuck, but in the midst of the fearful
confusion, we're gestating in the feminine womb, after all.
3. From the lungs we go to the liver, the organ associated with green, with wood and with spring.
See the little shoots springing up — miniature woods. The negative emotion is anger and the
positive is kindness, but also self-expansion and identity. That's what's happening in the spring.
The shoots of whatever new thing is being created (within us) suddenly begin to appear. This
brings us to T S Eliot’s lines on how cruel the spring can be to those preferring to stay in the
protection of dead winter (to linger in the womb):
April is the cruelest month, breeding

Lilacs out of the dead land, mixing
Memory and desire, stirring
Dull roots with spring rain.
No wonder the emotion is anger. The first movement “stirring/Dull roots” is a wrench. On a more
humorous note (and why not a little lightness in this season of growing daylight?) let’s include
Hugh MacDiarmid’s poem “Crowdieknowe”, depicting the anger of the old Victorian Presbyterians
as they are resurrected for Judgement Day. They are set in their ways; how dare some “French-
like folk” invite them to rise into something new!

Oh to be at Crowdieknowe a graveyard
When the last trumpet blaws,
An’ see the deid come loupin’ owre dead,
leaping, over
The auld grey wa’s. old, walls
Muckle men wi’ tousled beards, with

I grat at as a bairn wept, child
’ll scramble frae the croodit clay from,
crowded
Wi’ feck o’ swearin’. plenty
An’ glower at God an’ a’ his gang glare

O’ angels i’ the lift sky
—Thae trashy bleezin’ French-like folk those,
blazing
Wha gar’d them shift! made
Fain the weemun-folk’ll seek

To mak’ them haud their row hold
—Fegs, God’s no blate gin he stirs up wow, shy, if
The men o’ Crowdieknowe!
Once we can recognise that this anger is just the other side of self-expansion and part of our
(new?) identity, we have moved beyond the anger and are beginning to fit into our new identities.
4. Then comes the heart, summer, the element of fire, the colour red. We're now in the realm of
the masculine principle, acting upon other things. The danger here, the negative emotion,
involves all the usual masculine dangers: violence, arrogance, hastiness, cruelty, which we can
temper by the positive emotions of delight, joy, love, creativity. This is the stage in which we
actually use or perhaps just delight in the new thing that has been born in us or the new self we
have become. Psalm 19 comes to mind here with its great description of God's masculine power:
In [the heavens] hath he set a tabernacle for the sun:

which cometh forth as a bridegroom out of his chamber,
and rejoiceth as a giant to run his course.
It goeth forth from the uttermost part of the heaven,
and runneth about unto the end of it again:
And there is nothing hid from the heat thereof.
I love that image of the sun's masculine power being like "a bridegroom out of his chamber"; can
you picture the new husband, having just had a night of sexual delight, coming out full of
confidence? And we can see both the negative side (he turns into an arrogant, cocky stud) and
the positive side (his delight passes on to all he comes into contact with).
But let’s linger on that final line: “there is nothing hid from the heat thereof”. Our heart pumps
blood to every part of the body; the sun pours down its heat on everything (think of the Middle
Eastern origins of the psalm); love, delight, joy — the masculine God — penetrate into all things.

5. Finally we move to the spleen, the season of harvest, the colour yellow, or better, golden wheat
colour. The element is the earth. Here we're grounded, earthed at the end of the journey. The
negative emotion is worry, as we become anxious about what's going to happen to all this that
we've been delighting in, but the positive emotions are serenity and compassion — the harvest of
all our emotional work. What better here than Keats' “Ode to Autumn”?
Season of mists and mellow fruitfulness,

Close bosom-friend of the maturing sun;
Conspiring with him how to load and bless
With fruit the vines that round the thatch-eves run;
To bend with apples the moss’d cottage-trees,
And fill all fruit with ripeness to the core.
And there we end: ripe to the “core”, at our centre, where as the fruit of our alchemy lie the male
and female, Sol and Luna, together in serenity. And so the journey finishes, and we move on.
Where? Onto our next journey, of course. But that’s another story!
Frequently Asked Questions

How much theory do I need to be able to remember?
I want to say to you that the theory of the Five Elements is fascinating, but you can use
this system effectively even if you know nothing at all about five element theory. It is
interesting to understand how a person's element imbalances are reflected in their
mind/body/spirit, and it is satisfying to understand the changes that you see happening
during a course of treatments, but that academic knowledge is not needed to use this
system effectively... so don't get bogged down in the theory.
I am not an expert in Five Element theory, and you don't need to be either.

Section 2:
Experiencing the Five
Energies

Five Element
Symbols
I have channelled five symbols which represent energies that resonate at the
characteristic frequencies of the five elements, and resonate strongly with the energies
of each element's associated 'organs'/meridians.
The background to this is that I asked my spirit guide whether it would be possible to use
symbols to represent the essence of the five elements and the response was positive. I
asked if it would be possible for me to channel those symbols and the response was
also positive. I used 'automatic writing' and went through each element in turn,
channelling each symbol a number of times to make sure that there was consistency in
the way that it was being drawn out. The symbols were consistent.
I then asked if using these symbols would produce greater treatment or healing benefits
when compared with standard Reiki treatments. Obviously if the symbols produced no
greater benefit than standard Reiki, there would be no point in continuing with them. I
received the message that these energies would indeed produce greater healing
benefits than standard Reiki treatments. The reason for this is I believe that they focus
the energy intensely on one particular aspect of a person - focusing on all the
ramifications of an element, and because the focus is narrow, the effect is more intense.
You can see the same approach with the use of the standard Reiki symbols: as soon as
you start using SHK for example, you are focusing intensely on mental/emotional
balancing. Because you have narrowed the focus, you have intensified the healing
effect.
Because the five element energies have so many ramifications, although the focus is
narrow, the knock-on effects are many and varied. An interesting contradiction.
There are some vague hints that the original form of Reiki may have involved using the
five elements. This course could then be seen as starting to move Western Reiki more
into contact with its original form, in the same way that the 'Original Usui Reiki' course
has moved western Reiki back into contact with some of its Shinto, Tendai and Teate
(traditional Japanese palm healing) roots.
A Reiki Master and clairvoyant who has been helping me by giving me feedback about
the symbols, energies and their effects had this to say after one of our 'experimentation'
sessions:
"The energy I felt from the symbols made me very keen to continue learning
more about them. It was so different from the traditional Reiki symbols and far
more than I've felt from the other Seichim symbols I've been given (even though
I've been 'attuned' to them)." Chris Burns March 2001

The Five-Element symbols
The Fire Symbol
Start on the right and move to the left…
The Earth Symbol

Draw a short line down, obliquely and to the left. Then make a sharp turn to the right and
draw a line to the right, arcing anticlockwise in a full circle, then circling anticlockwise
three times in a smaller circle that engulfs the original short oblique line.

The Metal Symbol
Start at the centre of the spiral, moving anticlockwise, spiralling outwards and
plummeting to the ground. Then draw a straight line upwards obliquely to the right, level
with the centre of the spiral. Then draw a straight line upwards obliquely to the left. You
are now at the top of the symbol. Follow this by tracing a triangle three times. The first
stroke goes down and to the left, the second stroke goes horizontally to the right, and
the third stroke goes vertically upwards. You finish at the pinnacle of the symbol.

The Water Symbol
Start on the right and move towards the left.
The difference between the Fire symbol and the Water symbol as follows:
The Fire symbol is like a roller coaster. It falls down twice and then flies or leaps
up into space, like flames licking at the sky.
The Water symbol falls down twice but then it stays down low, rolling out like a
carpet or a wave, along the ground.
The Wood Symbol

Draw a line vertically downwards. Then bounce over and to the left, curving round
anticlockwise into the right-hand loop of what will be an 'infinity' symbol. Make the infinity
symbol, left-right, left-right, left-right, so you have traced out three infinity symbols,
finishing at the centre of infinity.

Five Element Energy
Meditations
Introduction
If you are going to be using the five elemental energies in practice – using them on
yourself and using them on other people – then you should spend some time becoming
thoroughly familiar with them. Below you will see described some symbol meditations
that you can use on a regular basis in order to ‘become’ or to ‘assimilate’ the five
energies.
These are powerful meditations, and they have the potential to produce powerful effects
within you. You can use the meditations in different ways:
You can if you like carry out a meditation for about 10 minutes daily, spending a couple
of minutes experiencing each of the five energies, working in the order Wood Fire
Earth Metal Water
Alternatively, you can if you like spend 5-10 minutes each day working with only one
energy, for say 7-10 days. When you have completed 7-10 days of meditations using
one energy, then spend a further 7-10 days using the next energy. Again follow the order
Wood Fire Earth Metal Water
Technique
These two meditations allow you to experience the distinctive qualities of each element.
Try both approaches and find out for yourself which variation feels more comfortable for
you.

Meditation #1
1. Sit with your eyes closed and your hands resting in your lap
palms uppermost.
2. Draw out the symbol in your mind's eye, up in the air above
you.
3. Imagine cascades of energy flooding down onto you from the
symbol.
4. Energy floods into your hands, into your head, into your
torso.
Be aware of any sensations in your body, any impressions, and

qualities you are experiencing. Be aware of your emotions, your
thoughts, and your state of mind.
Make notes afterwards on what you experienced.
Meditation #2
1. Sit with your eyes closed and your hands resting in your lap palms uppermost.
2. Draw out the symbol in your mind's eye, up in the air above you.
3. As you inhale, draw energy down from the symbol, into your crown.
4. Draw energy down the centre of your body to your Dantien *.
5. As you pause before exhaling, feel the energy get stronger in your Dantien.
6. As you breathe out, feel the energy spread through your body.
Make notes afterwards on what you experienced.
* The "Dantien" (Tanden in Japanese) is an energy centre that can be found two finger-
breadths below your tummy button and 1/3rd of the way into your body. In Oriental
thought it is seen as your personal energy reserve, the centre of your creativity and
intuition, the seat of your soul. It is used extensively in energy cultivation techniques like
Tai Chi and Chi Kung, in Martial arts, and in the original form of Reiki!
Feedback from 'Guinea Pigs'

What follows are some comments that were given to me by various people who I
'experimented' on. They drew the five energies into themselves, and gave me feedback
on what they were feeling/experiencing. Maybe some of their experiences tie in with
what you have felt during your meditation on the energies.
Try to give an explanation for their feelings based on your knowledge of the
correspondences of the elements.

Earth
Taggart Janet
Deep muscular relaxation, dense Heaviness in head, strong, thoughts of
heaviness, heavy limbs and body, wholeness, feeling of lead, not uplifting
connected-ness to the but not oppressive.
earth/roots/planet, thoughts of oneness,
empty head, no thoughts, awareness of Christine
stomach (dull sensation) and spleen, Emerald green/yellow colour, energy in
slow deep breathing, fierce heat in forehead base of skull. Travelled to
hands upper chest and no further. Wobbly
feeling; solid, tangible, heavy energy,
Karen moving with a 'ripple' effect. Calming
Green/brown colours, heat at back of and grounding.
neck and down back, blanket over
shoulders and down the back, big Hazel
releasing breaths, swirling/movement in Shoulders relaxed. Energy washed
head, empty head, slowed her down, down; leg dropped. Soft, gentle
deep breathing, wooziness. pressure, pushing me down. Warm &
loving. Wonderful warm flow. Definitely
Karen#2 a warm green colour. All encompassing.
Pleasantly tearful. Slowed breathing. Stomach: everything settled (undulated,
Enveloped by cool green-ness. Still. and then settled). Womb-like comforted
Warm in stomach area. Shoulders going feeling
down. Sinking back into chair.
Fire
Taggart
Impassioned, extra positive Karen#2
outlook/feeling, arrogance, confidence, Feeling down arms. Faster breathing.
unsettled: wanting to get on and do Alert. Poise. Lively feeling. Pressure by
things, many thoughts, progressive eyebrows (above, in the middle). Ready
intense pressure in the heart area (not for action.
unpleasant) and tingling in abdomen,
fast breaths, dry mouth, brightness, Janet
tingling ears, alertness, not sunk in chair Heat in outer ear, sense of anger,
as was the case with earth, full hands energy movement in arms, not serene,
(not fizzing) shooting pressure across head.
Karen Christine
Bright orange colour, very swirly feeling, Immediate warmth but a light feel,
dry mouth, heaviness/pressure in heart, moving to the back/abdomen - a couple
focused on the clock ticking like a of inches above & below the navel in the
heartbeat, faster shallower breathing front and the back. A lot of expansion.
and lots of breathing in, more aware of Comforting yet invigorating within. Deep
things outside - from my ears, not sunk breathing. Felt good, open, aware, a
into chair as was the case with earth. loving energy.

of skull sensation. No feeling of sinking
Hazel down. Sitting up straight/upright. Very
Prickly; jagged. Tingling in 'round the head'. Left with an 'alert'
arms/shoulders. Almost vibratory, then feeling. Didn't want to 'be one' with it.
feeling on cheekbones/tightening. Scalp Feelings of positivity. Was 'in' the
tingling/standing on end. Intense. Back energy, but not part of it.
Water
Taggart unpleasant). Befuddled. Intense urge to

Heaviness in lower abdomen, or an drink water. Difficult to find words. No
awareness of that area, round to particular colour: pale. Need to go to the
kidneys, contented shallow breathing, loo.
slow intermittent breaths, quiet serenity,
tingling in inner ear, slow motion Janet
movements of the head for a while until Pressure inside ears, calm, soft balls of
it found a balanced position, balance, energy in hands, tingling in back of
fluidity, cool gentle pulsing in hands head, calm unforced breathing.
Karen Christine
Something going on in the eyes Energy passed to third eye and throat
(?bladder meridian), warming of the and became ice cold, moving down
lower back, no colour, bladder arms, flowing down back and out
awareness, movement down the legs, through feet. Feeling quite emotional.
warm eyes, gentle, downwards
sensations (not returning), not aware of Hazel
breath, feeling between the shoulder Need to go to the loo. Woozy. Slowly a
blades, creeping awareness of lower feeling starting at the lower back and
abdomen, heaviness. then movement, smooth, going down
the legs and out, one leg (L) more than
Karen#2 the other. Cold legs/feet. A 'clearance':
Sleepy. Aware of nose/tip. Didn't want to feeling soft, swirly. Heat in a wonky
open eyes. Slow, woozy (not knee. Intense thirst.
Metal
Taggart Cold nose, blue/white colour, shallow

Cool, reserved, analytical, detached, breathing, tingling/cold from the knees
otherworldly, hardened attitudes, down, aware of nose/teeth/tongue,
progressive heaviness in chest cavity something totally alien, not organic,
and main part of abdomen, tingling in detachment, 'out of this galaxy' energy,
many areas of skin, tingling at sides of not at all familiar, not welcoming, didn't
abdomen, fast shallow breath. embrace, just there - take it or leave it.
Karen Karen#2

Cold. Tip of nose 'went'/pulsated. Hands shallow breathing, suffocation. A very
cold. Sense of suspended time. compressed energy. A straight rod
Something close to face. Not pleasant: going through spine, energy going out
not unpleasant but not pleasant. through the base of the spine. Feeling of
Suspended: not thinking. Frozen. Came wanting to take control, command, being
out of it easily. Absence of colour. overbearing, straight-laced. Hardened
attitudes.
Janet
Rigid, immovable, heavy, sedated Hazel
breathing because of great load on Sharp, cutting, incisive. Very aware of a
chest. Saw a symbol: vertical diamond feeling in the crown (one of the points
with small square inside it, and four lines coming down). Symbol cut me down the
radiating off each side of the diamond. middle, sharp, cold, incisive. Not
threatened, but not comfortable either.
Christine Cutting to the essence, or the point of
Distinctive smell of metal filings, and a what is going on. Cuts through the crap.
feeling of constriction in the chest, Feels 'sharper' afterwards. Odd.
Wood
Taggart of body was more organic and flowing,

Contented happiness, balance, calm breathing.
flexibility, 'inner smile', head wafting like
a stem in a breeze randomly for a while Christine
until balance was achieved, toes and Beautiful. Feeling of physically swaying,
fingers tingling, heaviness or dull feeling blowing gently in the breeze. Gentle
in liver area. flowing resting at ears, breathing
relaxed. Energy went to solar plexus
Karen and gently flowed. Circular movement in
Very relaxing, deeper breathing (not as Dantien area. Very relaxing and gentle
deep as earth), softness, gentle warmth energy. Peace, calm, everything in the
(not heat), pain in hairline, sensation in world is fine, is going to be fine, no
abdomen, soles of feet tingling, heel and fears, no anxieties. Being part of
foot more in contact with the ground. everything, grounded but in contact with
the universe.
Karen#2
Tingling from the knees to the feet. Hazel
Downward movement from the knees to Dependable. Soft. Safe. Drifting off to
the feet. Pleasant. Drifting off. Took a sleep. Soothing. Yellow/orange. Full of
long time before I felt anything. life, but not vibrant - a gentle, giving life.
Not like earth though, not nurturing:
Janet contained life, capable of giving out.
Smooth, calm, feet fixed to the ground: Inner strength.
rooted but not heavy… not pressure, top

“I started with wood, I could see young trees with my inner eyes. Then I switched to fire,
and wow! I felt like I was surrounded by huge flames, warming me very quickly and
completely. I felt a slight pressure on my heart, and my heartbeat increased. After that, I
changed to Earth, it was a very comfortable, nurturing feeling, the energy went into my
stomach and was very calming there (I am having a lot of digestion problems at the
moment, due to a change of my diet). I then channelled Metal, which felt kind of cold,
strange, light, it started activating my kidneys. This activation became very strong when I
finally channelled Water, it felt like a hot water bottle on my lower back, very nice and
warm, activating and energising my kidneys”
Stefanie, Germany

Section 3: Working
on Your Self

Five Element self-
treatments
The five element energies can be used for self-development and balancing.
I see Five Element self-treatments as gently nudging the elements into balance, and
then going on to send the energy deeper and deeper into each element and its
correspondences, bringing each element into balance on all levels.
In our self-treatments, we will be going through each element in turn, drawing its energy
into the element's organs. We will follow this order:
1. Wood
2. Fire
3. Earth
4. Metal
5. Water
This sequence follows the flow of the seasons through the year, starting with the
expansion and new growth of spring and moving on to the intensity of summer. Summer
leads on to the 'pause' of Indian Summer, which the leads to the contraction of autumn
and the still waiting period of winter. We will follow that sequence through our bodies by
using the five element energies in that same order.
Here are two sequences that you can follow:
'Hands On' Self-Treatment

Begin by sitting comfortably in a chair with your eyes closed and your hands resting in
your lap, palms uppermost. Say to yourself "I am now going to bring my elements into
balance". Your intention here is to receive sufficient energy to produce balance in your
elements, by the energies boosting any elements that are depleted. Your intention is that
if there is too much Chi in an element, the energy will put your body in a space where it
can dissipate the energy, and will not exacerbate the imbalance.
Your intention is that the energies will bring into balance all the various correspondences
of each element, not just the physical organs, which are just a small part of what each
element represents.

Wood
1. In your mind's eye, draw out the Wood symbol in
the air above you, representing the source of that
energy.
2. Rest your hands on the Liver/Gall Bladder area, to
the right side of your abdomen on the lower part of
your ribcage.
3. Imagine cascades of energy/light flooding down into
your crown, passing through your shoulders and
arms, and flooding into your Liver and Gall Bladder.
4. The energy keeps on flowing, continually renewed.
5. Maintain this focus for several minutes.
Fire
1. In your mind's eye, draw out the Fire symbol in the
air above you, representing the source of that
energy.
2. Rest your hands on the Heart and the Small
Intestine, by placing one hand to the left side of the
midline of your chest (heart) and the other between
the navel and the solar plexus.
3. Imagine cascades of energy/light flooding down into
your crown, passing through your shoulders and
arms, and flooding into your Heart and Small
Intestine.
4. Have in mind the Triple Heater and the Heart
Protector too.

Earth
1. In your mind's eye, draw out the Earth symbol in
energy.
2. Rest your hands on the Spleen/Pancreas and
Stomach area, by partly overlapping your hands
as they rest on the stomach (left side of upper
abdomen) and spleen (left side of your abdomen
on the lower part of your ribcage.
3. Imagine cascades of energy/light flooding down
into your crown, passing through your shoulders
and arms, and flooding into your Spleen/Pancreas
and Stomach.
Metal
1. In your mind's eye, draw out the Metal symbol in
energy.
2. Rest your hands on the Lungs and Large Intestine:
place one hand on the lung area on one side, and
the other hand to the other side of the lower
abdomen. Half way through this self-treatment,
swap hands, so you treat the other lung and the
other side of the large intestine. Have in mind that
when you are treating one lung, the energy will
also be connecting with the other lung, and when
you are treating the large intestine, have in mind
that you will be connecting with the whole organ.
3. Imagine cascades of energy/light flooding down into your crown, passing through
your shoulders and arms, and flooding into your Lungs and Large Intestine.

Water
1. In your mind's eye, draw out the Water symbol in
energy.
2. Rest your hands on the Kidneys and Bladder:
Place one hand on the kidney on one side of the
body, on your lower back where the ribcage
stops; the other hand rests on your bladder in the
midline of your lower abdomen. Half way through
this self-treatment, swap hands, so you treat the
other kidney, and the bladder. When you are
treating each individual kidney, have in mind that
the energy will also be connecting with the other
kidney.
3. Imagine cascades of energy/light flooding down into your crown, passing through
your shoulders and arms, and flooding into your Kidneys and Bladder.
Move your hands back into your lap, palms uppermost, and spend a few minutes just
experiencing the balance that ensues.
'Hands Off' Self-Treatment

Begin by sitting comfortably in a chair with your eyes closed and your hands resting in
your lap, palms uppermost. Say to yourself "I am now going to bring my elements into
balance". Your intention here is to receive sufficient energy to produce balance in your
elements, by the energies boosting any elements that are depleted. Your intention is that
if there is too much Chi in an element, the energy will put your body in a space where it
can dissipate the energy, and will not exacerbate the imbalance.
Your intention is that the energies will bring into balance all the various correspondences
of each element, not just the physical organs, which are just a small part of what each
element represents.

In your mind's eye, draw out the Wood symbol in the air above you, representing the
source of that energy.
1. Imagine cascades of energy/light flooding down into your Liver and Gall Bladder.
4. In your mind's eye, draw out the Fire symbol in the air above you, representing the
5. Imagine cascades of energy/light flooding down into your Heart and Small Intestine.
6. Have in mind your Triple Heater and your Heart Protector too.
9. In your mind's eye, draw out the Earth symbol in the air above you, representing the
10. Imagine cascades of energy/light flooding down into your Spleen/Pancreas and
Stomach.
13. In your mind's eye, draw out the Metal symbol in the air above you, representing the
14. Imagine cascades of energy/light flooding down into your Lungs and Large Intestine.
17. In your mind's eye, draw out the Water symbol in the air above you, representing the
18. Imagine cascades of energy/light flooding down into your Kidneys and Bladder.
Spend a few minutes just experiencing the balance that ensues.

Self-Treatment Case History
On the following page you can see some bar charts representing the state of an
individual's elements during a daily programme of 'hands-on' self-treatments, lasting 15
minutes at each session. There is one bar chart for each element. The first 'reading'
shows the state of the elements before the daily self-treatments began.

Using a Pendulum
If you are going to treat yourself, it will be useful if you can see the effect of the self-
treatments on your elemental imbalances from day to day. A simple and effective way of
doing this is by dowsing: using a pendulum. You can read about dowsing below…
Introduction
You can use anything that dangles as a pendulum, whether it be a crystal, a ring or a
piece of plastic. However, the College of Psychic Studies in Kensington apparently
advise people not to use a crystal because it can 'pick up on the subconscious desires
and wants of the dowser'. I am not convinced of this.
'Yes' and 'No' Answers

The first thing to do is to find out what your pendulum does to say ‘yes’ and ‘no’. Try
asking ‘am I a man?’ or ‘am I a woman?’, blank your mind for a few moments, hold the
pendulum away from your body, suspending it between your thumb tip and index
fingertip, and see what it does. Don't rest your elbow on your leg or the arm of a chair
because the pendulum won't give you a strong response: your muscles need room to
move you!
For me, ‘yes’ is a clockwise movement and ‘no’ is side-to-side, but it seems to vary from
one person to another. You could ask ‘show me your yes response’ and ‘show me your
no response’ and see what happens. If you try asking ‘what should I do now’ then you
may elicit a response which means ‘ I can’t answer that question with a yes/no’.
The 'Neutral' position

I have found that it is easier for the pendulum to give you answers quickly if it is already
moving, rather than holding it still every time whereupon it has overcome inertia every
time it answers you. In my case, I continually swing the pendulum forwards-and-
backwards as a 'neutral' position before asking the questions.
Obtaining 'Permission'
Various books recommend that you ask a few questions before entering upon a new
endeavour, as follows:
1. Can I do this? (Am I able to do this?)

2. Should I do this? (Is it right or appropriate for me to do this?)

3. May I do this? (simply politeness really)
If you get ‘yes’ responses to all the questions then go ahead. If any of the answers are
‘no’ then do not try any more at that time. You do not have to go through this procedure
every time you use a pendulum, only when you are intending to use a pendulum in a
different way, or for a different purpose, than you have before.
Dowsing Chakras
Dowsing the state of someone’s chakras is not something that you do when carrying out
Five Element Healing, but it is a useful exercise to carry out in order develop your skills
with the pendulum.
Ask ‘am I able to use this pendulum to dowse the state of a person’s chakras?’ If you get
a ‘yes’ response then you can ask these questions:
• What will you show me if the chakra is open?

• What will you show me if the chakra is closed or spinning sluggishly?
• What will you show me if the chakra is spinning too fast?
For me, the responses are my 'yes', 'no' and 'stupid question' responses.
Before you start a treatment, hold the pendulum so that it dangles over the crown
chakra, say to yourself 'show me the state of the crown chakra', and see what the
pendulum does. Then move on to the third eye, throat etc. all the way to the root chakra.
In fact you do not have to dangle the pendulum over each chakra; you can happily
dowse the chakras standing by the person's side. In fact, you do not have to have the
subject in the same room as you, so you can dowse the state of their chakras before
they arrive for the appointment! Within dowsing, it is common for the dowser to have
some sort of 'witness' - for example a lock of the person's hair, by way of making a
definite connection with the person about whom they are seeking information. I have not
felt the need to do this with Reiki clients, so I believe that Reiki and intent is connection
enough.
Common Chakra 'presentations'

I have found that it is quite common for the throat, heart and solar plexus chakras to be
closed, which ties in with inability to express oneself and current/long term emotional
issues respectively. I found a closed root chakra in a girl with anorexia and a woman with
multiple addictions. I found fast-spinning third eye chakras in a counsellor, research
chemist, a molecular geneticist and web consultant.
Practice
Practice using a pendulum in this way until you feel comfortable with it, and then you can
start your self-treatments, dowsing to see your elemental status each day. You can do
this using the method described below…

Monitoring the State
of one’s Elements
Dowsing your Elements
Using a pendulum, it is possible to find out in detail about the degree of imbalance of all
your elements. You can find out which elements are balanced, which elements hold too
much chi, which elements are deficient, and the degree to which they are deficient or in
excess.
By using a semicircular 'scale' – a bit like a protractor - with arbitrary percentages from
0% - 100%, it is possible to find out, say, that Wood has a 20% excess of chi while Fire
has a 60% deficiency etc.
This is useful information because:
1. You can compare the relative imbalances of all the elements.

2. You can see how an imbalance in one element is reflected in imbalances in the
supporting or controlling elements.
3. You can monitor your own progress more accurately, and see how the elements
change in relation to each other from one self-treatment to another.
Technique
Look at the 'Dowsing Grid', which you will find below and in the Appendix to this manual.
You can see that there are two scales running from zero, which is a vertical line running
up the page. To the right you can see a scale running as far as +100, in increments of 10
points, which represents elements that are holding too much chi. To the left you can see
a scale running as far as -100, in increments of 10 points, which represents elements
that are deficient in chi. You can use this grid to simply and quickly find out about the
state of each element: whether it is in balance, and if it is out of balance, whether it
contains too much or too little chi, and to what degree.

This is what you do:
1. Hold the pendulum with its point hovering over the midpoint of the baseline, the point
from which the 'spokes' radiate, or set it moving along the 'zero' line, in 'neutral'.
2. Say "Show me the state of my Wood element".
3. See in what direction the pendulum swings.
If the pendulum swings vertically up & down the page, forwards and backwards, then the
element is in balance. If the pendulum swings to the right then the element contains too
much chi; record the degree of excess to the nearest 10 points. If the pendulum swings
to the left then the element contains too little chi; record the degree of deficiency to the
nearest 10 points. You do not need absolute precision and the numbers are not
empirical anyway. They are just a guide.
You have been provided with a ‘Bar Chart’ worksheet that you can use to record the
state of your elements.

“After doing Hsin Tao, the self-healing technique used by Shaolin monks, a
couple of weeks ago I had a massive clearing - the worst migraine I have ever
experienced. It concerned me so much that I knew finally had to get to the
bottom of the cause of my migraines/headaches. So I sought the help of
an acupuncturist. It is fascinating to watch her work and talk to her about the
Five Elements. Using your methods I had already detected major imbalances in
my Wood, Earth & Fire which she confirmed.”
Jeannie, England
“A strange thing. I worked really hard on myself last evening and I touched zero
i.e. balanced chi, on 2 of the elements. I was stunned, and yet wasn't surprised.
Strange. I felt very neutral in many ways and getting near neutrality allowed so
much clarity.”
Ipsita, England
“I am in balance! Feels great too.”

Ellen, England
“Couldn't believe it today when I started to detect my energy imbalances I found

they were all in balance. Such a joy because I have been working so hard
towards achieving this. Even if I find tomorrow there is a slight imbalance at least
I know it is possible! Needless to say I feel wonderful....”
Jeannie, England
“The day before yesterday, my 10th day of self-treatment, I touched zero on all 5
elements. I stared and stared, not unbelieving, but just.....stared.”
Ipsita, England

Section 4: Detecting
Energy Imbalances

Perceiving Someone’s
Elements
Introduction
The first stage of Five Element treatments is to find out where the imbalances are.
Once we know that, for example, there is too much chi in fire, or too little chi in water, we
can then move on to bring things into balance. This needs to be done before the
treatment proper can begin.
Once we have brought the elements into balance, we can use five element energies to
'flush through' that element's 'organs'/meridians, whereupon the energies will focus on
bringing into balance all the various correspondences of that element in our body-mind-
spirit. We will comparatively spend more time flushing through the elements that were
most out of balance, though we will spend some time on each of them.
There are a number of different ways of finding out whether there are any imbalances in
someone's elements. To begin with you will be using palpation of the Hara, and energy
diagnosis focusing on the Hara. However, there are other ways, some based on intuitive
techniques, and some based on more of an 'academic' approach: history taking and
Oriental visual diagnosis.
On this course we will focus on palpation and energy diagnosis, and intuition to an
extent, backed up by clues in the recipient's 'history'. Oriental visual diagnosis is beyond
the scope of this course. See the Recommended Reading section for more information
about this subject.
On the Five Element Healing Advanced Practitioner Course we will deal further with the
intuitive approach.

Hara diagnosis
Hara diagnosis forms part of Shiatsu. By palpating the Hara you can feel imbalances in
the five elements. A different area of the Hara represents each element. You will be able
to tell if there is too much Chi in an element, or if Chi is depleted in an element, in one of
two ways. You can use direct palpation (touching) and by feeling for energy differences
using your hands hovering over the body.
It can take some practice before you feel completely confident with this technique, so
you will need to persevere. Since you are already used to experiencing and feeling
energy in your hands, you are better sensitised to begin with than people on Shiatsu
courses who have not been attuned to Reiki!
With both of these approaches, it is important to go along with your first impression. If
you start thinking too much you will 'lose it', and if you palpate for too long, or feel the
energies for too long, you will start to change things and you will 'lose it'.

Detecting imbalances through touch
By palpating the Hara you can gauge whether there is too much or too little chi in each
element. This approach focuses one on the element with the greatest excess, or the
greatest deficiency, of chi, and cannot really be used to discern more subtle gradations
of imbalance.
The abdomen area is touched lightly in the areas corresponding to the elements, with
the middle three fingertips. Use both hands. If an area feels hard or springy there may be
too much Chi in that element (jitsu). If there is too little Chi then the area may feel the
opposite (kyo): there will be an empty or sinking quality, or a lack of reaction.
Comparing Fire and Earth Comparing Water and Wood
Here is a suggested routine:
1. Start by comparing, say, Fire and Earth. Which is kyo and which is jitsu? Rest one
hand on one element and the other hand on the other element.
2. Now move on to another element, say Metal. If Metal feels kyo, then compare it with
the element that felt kyo last time: which is the most kyo… remember that element as
the most deficient. If Metal feels jitsu, then compare it with the element that felt jitsu
last time: which is the most jitsu… remember that element as the one with the
greatest excess of chi.
3. Now move on to another element, say Wood. If it is kyo, then compare its quality with
the most kyo element that you have found so far, and decide which element is now
the most kyo that you have yet come across. If Wood is jitsu, then compare its
quality with the most jitsu element that you have found so far, and decide which
element is now the most jitsu that you have yet come across.

4. Now move on to the remaining element, which in this case is Water. Again compare
its quality of kyo or jitsu with the most jitsu and most kyo elements that you have
found so far.
5. By Comparing one element with another and moving on, you can thus decide which
element has the greatest excess of chi, and which element is most deficient.
When carrying out this process you need to go on your first impression, and try not to
analyse things too much. If you keep prodding and poking too much you will 'lose it'
completely and it will all feel like porridge. Your intervention will start to alter the Hara
presentation, so you need to decide quickly. Don't dither: just decide and move on.
Sensing Energies
By feeling the energies over the Hara you can also gauge whether there is too much or
too little Chi in each element, and you can use this approach to back up what you felt
when you were palpating the Hara. This approach again focuses you on the element
with the greatest excess and the greatest deficiency of Chi, and cannot really be used to
discern more subtle gradations of imbalance.
Intention
Firstly, set your intention so that you are going to feel energetic imbalances in the five
elements in the Hara area. Your intention is important here: you will not be picking up
physical problems in the body below you, and you will not be picking up things in the
chakras. Your intent is focused on diagnosing five element imbalances in the Hara.
Scanning
Hover your hand over the Hara, moving from one area to another and noticing whether
there are any differences in the quality of the energy that you are feeling. You can follow
the same sort of routine that is described in the 'palpation' section above, comparing two
areas, noting the stronger and weaker areas, and then moving on to a new area which is
then compared with your earlier findings. When you are feeling the energies though, this
process can be more fluid and flowing, and you can drift quickly from one area to
another, noticing what is going on in your hands/fingers.
When the elements are in balance you can feel a uniform energy, rather like riding on a
carpet. As you are scanning, feel for empty holes within the ‘carpet’ layer, and feel for
differences between the different elements/areas. A 'hole' or a feeling of dullness or
emptiness would indicate that there is insufficient Chi in that area; maybe you would feel
coldness there. If you feel heat, or some sort of bright fizzing or tingling or pulsing, or an
up-draught of wind perhaps, then there is likely to be an excess of Chi in that element.
Find the two areas where there seems to be the greatest excess, or the greatest
deficiency, of Chi. In effect, you are scanning, but scanning with a specific purpose in
mind.

The use of pendulums
I am not an expert in the use of pendulums, so I would recommend that you read up on
the subject – not that I have found a book yet that is particularly useful. Most books on
pendulums and dowsing seem very preoccupied with finding underground watercourses
and mineral deposits, though I have found one book which seems less preoccupied with
these subjects, and it is mentioned in 'Recommended Reading'.
A pendulum can be used in a variety of ways during a Reiki treatment:
• To dowse a patient’s chakras in order to establish which are open, which are closed
or spinning sluggishly and which are spinning too fast. We dealt with this earlier.
• To help with the choice of energy to be channelled into the patient on that particular
occasion.
• To establish whether the patient needs to have a further Reiki session.
Dowsing someone’s Elements

Basic method
To start dowsing the elements, you could ask these simple questions. Starting with
Wood:
Is Wood in balance?
If YES, then you can move on to the next element, if Wood is not in balance…
Is there too much chi in Wood?

If YES, does Wood hold the greatest excess of chi of all the elements for that
person?
If NO then Wood must be deficient in chi.

Ask if Wood holds the greatest deficiency of chi of all the elements for that
person.
Now you can move on to the next element. Use whatever order you like, but going from
Wood - Fire - Earth - Metal - Water will help to reinforce the nourishment cycle in your
mind!
Using this sequence you can find out which elements - if any - are already in balance,
and which two elements hold the greatest excess and the greatest deficiency in chi.
Dowsing can thus confirm/verify what you decided upon when you palpated the Hara
and felt the energies over the Hara.

I recommend that you use all three methods in turn whenever you treat someone. This
will help to build your confidence in using the techniques, and it is good practice.
Detailed method
Using a pendulum, it is possible to find out in more detail about the degree of imbalance
of all the elements, not just those two elements that show the greatest excess and
deficiency of chi. By using a semicircular 'scale' with arbitrary percentages from 0% -
100% it is possible to determine, say, that Wood has a 20% excess of chi, Fire has a
60% deficiency etc.
This is useful information because:
1. You can compare the relative imbalances of all the elements.

2. You can see how an imbalance in one element is reflected in imbalances in the
supporting or controlling elements.
3. You can bring the elements into balance with more certainty, knowing exactly
which ones need to be boosted and which ones need to be depleted, and to what
degree.
4. You can monitor the client's progress more accurately, and see how the
elements change in relation to each other from one treatment to another.
5. It is more of an 'empirical' approach.
Technique
Look at the 'Dowsing Grid', which you will find below and in the Appendix to this manual.
You can see that there are two scales running from zero, which is a vertical line running
up the page. To the right you can see a scale running as far as +100, in increments of 10
points, which represents elements that are holding too much chi. To the left you can see
a scale running as far as -100, in increments of 10 points, which represents elements
that are deficient in chi. You can use this grid to simply and quickly find out about the
state of each element: whether it is in balance, and if it is out of balance, whether it
contains too much or too little chi, and to what degree.

This is what you do:
4. Hold the pendulum with its point hovering over the midpoint of the baseline, the point
from which the 'spokes' radiate, or set it moving along the 'zero' line, in 'neutral'.
5. Say "Show me the state of Wood for this person".
6. See in what direction the pendulum swings.
If the pendulum swings vertically up & down the page, forwards and backwards, then the
element is in balance. If the pendulum swings to the right then the element contains too
much chi; record the degree of excess to the nearest 10 points. If the pendulum swings
to the left then the element contains too little chi; record the degree of deficiency to the
nearest 10 points. You do not need absolute precision and the numbers are not
empirical anyway. They are just a guide.
Moving beyond the Pendulum

This will be covered in more detail in the Five Element Healing Advanced Course.

Visual facial diagnosis
Knowledge of Oriental diagnosis may give visual clues that may reinforce your original
impression, though visual facial diagnosis is beyond the scope of this course. See the
recommended book list at the end of this manual for further reading.
History taking
What you know of the person, or what you can glean from what they say about their
thoughts, emotions, physical problems etc. may help to reinforce your original
impression, based on what you know of the various correspondences of each element.
This manual gives an overview of the each element's correspondences, and I also
recommend a few books on this subject.
Case Histories
Example 1 - see next page for bar charts
I started a series of treatments on J. I palpated her Hara and got the impression that the
softest/dullest area was in Fire, and that the most rigid/resistant area was Metal.
When I went on to hover my hands over the Hara, fire seemed to be the most 'dull' or
'empty' - there seemed to be a 'hole' in the Hara 'carpet' in that area. When I hovered
over Metal, it seemed to be the most bright, fierce, tense, strong.
Then I went on to use an intuitive technique, which gave the presentation shown
overleaf. It is displayed as a Bar Chart. The numbers relating to 'excess' or 'depletion'
are purely subjective, but give an impression of the relative levels of excess or
deficiency. The order of the elements shown is Wood - Fire - Earth - Metal -Water. Water
was in balance.
Fire was depleted, so it was not supporting Earth, which was also down a little. Fire
controls Metal, but since Fire was so depleted, it could not control Metal, which raged
uncontrolled. Maybe Metal was so strong that it depleted its controlling element: Fire.
Metal controls Wood, and Metal was very strong so Wood was suppressed. These
interpretations are just speculation really, but we can see in the above example how the
different elements connect with each other, supporting or failing to support, controlling or
failing to control.
What emotional states might this person be experiencing?

What states of mind might they be exhibiting?
What parts of the physical body might be affected in some way?
Example 2 & 3 - see next page for bar charts

Speculate about the relationship between the elements in these people.
What emotional states might they be experiencing?

What states of mind might they be exhibiting?
What parts of the physical body might be affected in some way?

“I have been working with detecting energy imbalances and have found it quite
amazing especially when the results became consistent. Of the three methods I
found the tactile Hara diagnosis the most difficult but realise it is a matter of
letting go and trusting in one's very first impression. No problem with feeling the
energies because for a couple of years now my hands vibrate naturally when
detecting energy imbalances in treatments and distance healing using
intent/scanning. Once I got these two methods under control it was possible to
confirm with dowsing.”
Jeannie, England
“I am now doing 5eH imbalance detection on all of my clients. Some of them

show a strong imbalance others less or minimal. I've noticed that the clients
showing a strong imbalance tend to be those who have come with a specific
ailment that they want me to concentrate on. Those who have just come for
relaxation tend to be less strong in their imbalance.”
John, Wales
“I did a balancing on Caron yesterday (she did Reiki years ago and practices
reflexology now) she was the most 'balanced' person I've had yet, from a 'starting
point' of view. She was Wood -10; Fire 0; Earth -10; Metal 0; Water +20. It is
interesting to see that people who are more focused and 'spiritual' and practise
healing in some way or another tend to be more balanced than those that aren't.
Obvious statement really, but is amazing to have it confirmed by their readings.”
Ellen, England
“Another client said she felt as if I had given her a whole bodywork like a
massage. She is going through emotional upset and having trouble with her
eyes. Her Wood was 100% excess - never before had I associated anger with
her but when we discussed it she admitted to having a lot of anger buried deep
inside. She also had excessive Earth (20%) and excessive Water (60%). It all
tied in with what is going on in her life.”
Jeannie, England
“I am really excited! Have done another 'detecting' on a new 'guinea pig',

Joanne, and understood a bit more as the Acupuncture - 5 elements book had
come in. I am absolutely blown away (and so was she!) it's as if you can read the
actual person like a book! I didn't really know anything about her before along
these lines, but she confirmed so many things. It is incredible and I said to Paul
'this really works!' and there is also far more to it (far reaching) than I ever
thought.”
Ellen, England

“I've practised diagnosis on 11 people, most more than once. The results have
been quite astonishing. I realised this when I began to practice on family
and friends who had more serious problems than friends who didn't - with
healthy friends I was getting very minor imbalances, or a couple who were
completely balanced. When I started to try it out on family with more
problems (parents mainly!) results were much more obvious. This was a really
good comparison and gave me a lot of confidence.”
Maurita, England

General comment
When you are practicing this stage it is important that you don't try too hard. Just play
around with the three methods, simply see what you notice, and go on your first
impressions. If you try too hard you can almost put a block in the way, so relax and be
neutral. Simply notice in a detached way what happens. The experience of one of our
students illustrates this point:
"I have spent the last few months practising detecting imbalances on my clients. I
have been doing the tests both before and after my normal Reiki sessions.
Initially I could sense nothing, but once I stopped trying to force a response and
"let it happen", I started to get results. Very quickly I started to get consistent
results with Touch and Scanning but I was unable to get much out of the
Dowsing Pendulum. Then once more I stopped trying to force a reaction and at
that point I started to get results. I now get fairly consistent results with all three
methods."
Why am I learning three detection methods?
I have included three different ways of detecting imbalances because it gives people the
best chance of finding one or two (and occasionally three) methods that work ok for
them. Some people find palpating very difficult to get to grips with - a very strange thing
for Reiki people to do - and others have more trouble with sensing.
For some - who might be a bit distrustful of using a pendulum - having 'real' evidence
after palpating and sensing starts to reassure them of the dowsing approach, which is of
course the intuitive approach. In the end, the intuitive method is what you'll probably end
up relying on, and this is the approach that we focus on more in the advanced course.
Palpating the Hara
Do not worry about the palpating (just for today do not worry!) because quite a few Reiki
people find that the most tricky to become comfortable with. Prodding your fingers into
someone's abdomen is a strange thing for Reiki people to do. Most Reiki people find the
'sensing' easiest, because it is much like scanning really. What we are looking for is to
get to the stage where the palpating, the sensing, and the pendulum give similar results.
You will not always get 100% agreement, and in that case you go with the result that
feels comfortable for you. Sometimes you will get two definite results, and maybe one
result is different: go with the two that agree. Over time you should get consistent results
though. It is important to end up feeling comfortable with the pendulum - which is a way
of accessing intuition - because if you progress to the advanced level of this system then
you will be using your intuition more.
Try and get as much practice as you can on different people, and you can also practice
on the same people on different days. If you use palpating and sensing too much on the
same person - again and again - it all starts to turn to jelly and you can't detect anything:

you start to change the presentation of the elements through your pressing and sensing.
You need to go with your first impressions and be decisive. One of my students said:
"Of the three methods I found the tactile Hara diagnosis the most difficult but
realise it is a matter of letting go and trusting in one's very first impression."
Palpating when the client has a lot of body fat
The degree of fat should not make a difference, and you'll find that the lower area is not
always softer than the upper area. We are not looking for soft and hard, but bright and
dull, simply comparing two areas to see which is brighter and which is duller; then you
move on to a new area and if it feels bright you compare it to the previous bright area to
see which is now the brightest. If the new area is dull, compare it to the previous dull
area to see which now is the most dull... until you arrive at your conclusion as to which
two areas are the most full of chi and least full of chi.
That should tend to agree with what you sense when hovering your hands over the hara,
though you won't necessarily get agreement in every case.
Sensing over the Hara
Partly the solution comes through practice, and not worrying too much or beating
yourself up for not being perfect at it right from the word go. People who practice Shiatsu
can take years to get that stage right, but it is a lot easier for Reiki people, who are
already tuned in to and more used to sensing energy. Practice will make it easier. You
are already used to Reiki scanning, and this is not much different really, though your
focus is different. Your intention is that you are detecting the qualities of the elements in
the hara, and you simply drift from one area to another to see which of two adjacent
areas is dull or vibrant. Now you have a baseline 'strongest' and 'weakest'. Then you
move on to sense the energy over a new area. If it feels dull you compare it with the
previous 'dullest so far', to see which is now the dullest so far. If the new area feels
bright, you compare it with the previous 'brightest so far' to see which element is now the
brightest you have yet come across... so you are only ever comparing two elements at a
time.
Detecting fine differences when Palpating or Sensing over the Hara
When you use sensing and palpating you can only really detect the strongest and the
weakest elements. It would be quite difficult to detect more fine gradations of imbalance
using sensing and palpating, though a few people seem able to do this. Most people
seem to find that they get on better with some approaches than others, but with practice
you will get better at all of them!

Changing the order of Palpating, Sensing and Dowsing
One lady was having problems with sensing energy imbalances in the Hara, so she
persevered, but what made a difference to her was to change the order of detecting.
This is what she said: "Last week, I changed the order in which I used the three
methods. I first palpated, then dowsed, and then sensed the aura. In this way, I had an
idea what to look for in the aura, and noticed that the elements that were low in chi
(according to the other two approaches) felt like holes where my hand sunk in. The
elements that were high in chi felt strong, like pushing my hand back. I was quite happy I
finally found something when sensing the aura!" By starting with the approaches with
which she felt more comfortable, she has learned to sense the imbalances, even though
they weren't apparent earlier on in her practice.
When should I stop practicing the 'detecting imbalances' on people?
You are looking to get to the stage where the three approaches generally agree, or
where you are confident that you know where the greatest imbalances lie. You will not
always get 100% agreement, and in that case you go with the result that feels
comfortable for you. Sometimes you will get two definite results, and maybe one result is
different: go with the two that agree if you feel confident in them. Over time you should
get consistent results though. It is important to end up feeling comfortable with the
pendulum - which is a way of accessing intuition - because if you progress to the
advanced level of this system then you will be using your intuition more. If you are going
to get to the stage of teaching other people then you do need to have gotten to grips with
all approaches yourself, on the basis that you should not expect your students to do
anything that you have not gone through yourself!
I recommend that you keep on practicing the three 'detection' methods even when you
are carrying out stage 3 (self-treating and meditating on the energies.
How do I make sense of the imbalances I'm finding?
Firstly I wanted to say that quite often the imbalances 'fit' with the control and
nourishment cycles, so for example when Metal is up, Wood is down, because Metal
controls Wood etc... but the imbalances you detect will not always be so neat and tidy!
The way the elements interact can be quite complicated and difficult to fathom, but that's
fine because you don't have to work it all out. All we do is simply accept the state of the
elements and take action based on what we find. So don't blow your mind trying to
understand 'why': simply accept what you find and move on.
Also, it is interesting to see how a person's imbalances tie in with what you know of their
physical, mental and emotional state, and the correspondences of the elements. Many
times what you find will 'make sense' but don't worry too much if it doesn't always make
sense.
Here are some students' experiences of imbalances that made sense in terms of the
correspondences of the elements...

"One interesting example was a friend of mine who when stressed develops a
stutter and I found that the Fire element was very depleted. The next time I saw
them to practice on, they happened to mention that they had had a very anxiety
making moment and had managed not to stutter nearly as much and had found a
clarity rather than a panic when they started stuttering. I hadn’t mentioned to
them anything about stuttering and had only been aware of it after the treatment
and I had gone to re-read my course notes."
"One lady I treated in her home who suffers liver cancer. On the first treatment I
did "just" Reiki. Second visit she started to open up more about her life and her
hate/anger/bitterness of her mother. I scanned for 5E, knowing of course of the
liver cancer, and decided to remove some of the excess energy from the liver
and to balance things up. But the more energy I removed the more the hatred
poured out. I approached the idea of letting go and forgiveness etc but she was
adamant that she would hate her mother until the day she died. On the third
treatment she was very, very ill, she complained bitterly that the pain relief was
not working and that she didn't deserve to suffer this pain, that the doctors should
sort out her medication better. She was on chemo tablets and she shouldn't need
to have the pain as well. Her eyes were pure yellow and I was shocked by the
anger and bitterness that seemed to spew from her."

Section 5: Balancing
and Treating
Someone’s Elements

Balancing the
Elements
Using Elemental energies to balance
someone's elements
Having determined which elements are most out of balance, the first stage of Five
Element treatments is to bring the elements into balance, so they are locked together
and stable, temporarily, ready for the energy work that follows.
To bring an element into balance, there are two approaches needed, depending on
whether there is too much or too little chi in the element concerned.
In both cases, you are intending to produce balance that is appropriate for the
individual that you are treating.
If there is too little chi in an element then you do this:
1. Place your hands on the corresponding 'organs'.

2. Connect to the elemental energy by visualising the symbol over your hand(s)
3. Connect to the elemental energy by imagining the symbol in the air above you
4. Draw down energy from that symbol, through your crown, through your shoulders
and hands, into the 'organs'
5. Now let the energy flow
6. Continue until you get the impression that balance has been achieved
If you are treating one-handed you might want to use a pendulum to check if the element
is now in balance. If it is not balanced yet, stay there for longer and draw down more
energy from above. If you are treating using two hands, you could remove one hand for
a moment if you have a pendulum to hand.
Try to feel when the element is balanced; let your intuition guide you… and then check
with the pendulum!
If there is too much chi in an element then you do this:

4. Using hand-movements, or intent, withdraw chi from the element/'organs'. Pull
energy out of the organs and throw it away from you, pull out imaginary strands of

excess energy, imagine that the organs have many imaginary 'punctures' that allow
excess chi to escape like air escaping from a balloon with a slow, or fast, puncture
If you are treating one-handed you might want to use a pendulum to check if the element
is now in balance. If it is not balanced yet, stay there for longer and intend that more chi
is being released, or continue with more hand-movements. If you are treating using two
hands, you could remove one hand for a moment if you have a pendulum to hand.
Try to feel when the element is balanced; let your intuition guide you… and then check
with the pendulum!
Once the elements are in balance, then they are 'stable', and it is safe to move on to
flushing five element energies into each organ pair in turn. If you do not start by finding
out where the biggest imbalances are, and getting the elements into balance first, then
using the five element energies can actually create even greater imbalances. If someone
has too much chi in an element, then you do not want to make things worse by sending
even more chi into that element!
Once the elements are balanced and stable, 'locked' in place like a jigsaw, then it is safe
to move on to the next stage.
Please note that when you use the energies in this way, your intention is that the
energies will not affect the state of your own elements. The state of your own
elements will be unaffected by the energies that you are channelling.
Balancing the Elements and Self-treatments

You do not need to diagnose any personal imbalances first, and you do not need to
bring the elements into balance before you start 'flushing through' the elements when
you self-treat. You can safely draw the five energies into you gently, and this will not
create greater imbalances.
This should be contrasted with the treatment of others, where using the elemental
energies before you have brought the elements into balance can distort things further.
I see Five Element self-treatments as gently nudging the elements into balance, and
then going on to send the energy deeper and deeper into each element and its
correspondences, bringing each element into balance on all levels.

Treating the Elements
Our treatment approach derives from the Japanese traditions of te-ate ('hand
application') or tanasue-no-michi ('the Tao of placing hands'), which have been known
for centuries, and are described in the book 'Macrobiotic Palm Healing' by Michio Kushi
(see Reading List). Teate is a way of balancing a person's energy system, and is based
on knowledge of the chakras, the meridian system and the five elements. The system
does not involve attunements, but many of the approaches echo techniques used in
Reiki, and some of Mikao Usui’s surviving students referred to his system as 'Usui
Teate'.
Working on organ pairs

While Teate can be used to direct healing energy into a single organ, there are benefits
in working on pairs of organs, the organs that represent each element. The organs that
represent an element are balanced in terms of Yin and Yang: one organ has a Yang
structure and Yin energy, the other has a Yin structure and Yang energy. The organs are
associated and complementary. One influences the other and they share a closely co-
ordinated energy flow. So, for example, by working simultaneously on the Lungs and the
Large Intestine (the organs/meridians of Metal) we produce a stronger healing effect
than if we worked on the individual organs separately, and in Five Element Healing we
intensify the healing effect further by using energies that resonate at the characteristic
frequencies of the organs.
Using Elemental energies on organ pairs

This is the main part of the treatment, starting with 5-10 minutes resting our hands on the
shoulders to get Reiki flowing and bringing the client into a nice relaxed state.
Procedure
What we are going to do then is to connect with the pairs of 'organs' that represent each
element, send the corresponding five element energy through them, concentrating
(spending more time) on the elements that were most out of balance. We will take about
50 minutes to complete the sequence, giving a treatment lasting about an hour.
1. Place your hands on the corresponding 'organs'

4. Draw down energy from that symbol, through your crown, through your shoulders
and hands, into the 'organs'
5. Now let the energy flow, drawing down energy as necessary

On a first visit, you will be guided by the presentation of the elements that you diagnose.
You will spend more time sending elemental energies into the two elements that were
most out of balance. If your use of a pendulum has given you more detailed information
about the degree of imbalance of each element, then you can 'grade' the amount of time
that you spend accordingly.
Please note that when you use the energies in this way, your intention is that the
energies will not affect the state of your own elements. The state of your own
elements will be unaffected by the energies that you are channelling.
Element 'movements'
On subsequent visits, particularly if you are aware of the finer gradations of imbalance,
the 'movement' of the elements can guide you as well. So if an element has swung
strongly from being in excess to being deficient, or vice versa, then you might decide to
spend more time on it irrespective of whether it displays the greatest excess or greatest
deficiency.
Also think about the case of an element that is found to be in balance, or near balance,
but was greatly out of balance in previous sessions. It has improved a lot over recent
weeks, and you might decide to spend more time on that element than the 'snapshot' of
the elements on that occasion might suggest is necessary, in order to 'reinforce' the
substantial change/movement that you have seen.
Intuition
Finally, you can also let your hands tell you when it is time to move on: if the energy is
flowing intensely into one element, then stay there until the sensations subside (within
reason) or until you feel that it is right to move on now.

Follow this order when doing the treatment:
Step 1
Channel wood energy into the liver and gall
bladder.
Rest both hands, overlapping each other, over the

liver area. This is on the right side of the recipient's
upper abdomen, wrapping round the side of the
torso, where the rib cage stops.
Step 2
Channel fire energy into the heart and small intestine.
Rest one hand over the anatomical heart (or hover your hand in the case of a lady).
Rest the other hand on the abdomen, between the navel and the solar plexus.

Step 3
Channel earth energy into the stomach and spleen/pancreas.
Rest both hands, slightly overlapping each other, on the upper abdomen. Stomach is to
the left side of the recipient's upper abdomen. Spleen is on the left side of the recipient's
torso, where the rib cage stops.
Step 4
Channel metal energy into the lungs and large intestine.
Rest one hand on one side of the lower abdomen, and the other hand hovers over (or
rests on) the opposite lung. Intend that you are connecting with both lungs, and the
entire large Intestine. Now swap over, and deal with the other side of the large intestine
and other lung.

Step 5
Channel water energy into the kidney and bladder.
Rest one hand on the centre of the lower abdomen. Slide the other hand slightly
underneath the lower back, where the ribcage stops. Intend that you are connecting with
the other kidney at the same time. Alternatively, swap over half way and contact the
other kidney, and the bladder.
Perhaps finish the treatment by resting your hands on the feet/ankles for a while, a nice
way to bring things to a close.
Treating in the Seated position

While Reiki treatments tend to be carried out with the recipient lying on a treatment
couch, Teate would have been carried out with the recipient sitting, most likely sitting
in 'seiza'. Such treatments would have given the practitioner access to both sides of
the body at the same time, and there were seen to be added benefits in working on
the front of one organ and the back of another. This approach was said to produce a
more 'polarised' energy flow, and maybe you might like to experiment with this.

A Short Case History
Emotional Release
I treated one of my Reiki2 students, who was not feeling too good, and who could feel
discomfort in her throat to solar plexus when she did her daily Hatsu Rei ho. When I
treated her, she has an enormous emotional release near the end of the first treatment,
and she felt emotional for the next five days, crying and weeping. The second treatment
was a great deal more restrained and seemed to resolve the problem. On the first visit,
the throat, heart and solar plexus chakras were closed down, but the first two had
opened nicely by the time of the second treatment.
When I looked at her lady's elements, there was no energy in Metal, the emotion
associated with which is grief. I asked the lady if her strong emotional reaction was tied
in with losing someone or something and she said "It's funny you should say that, but the
last week when I have been crying, it has felt like grief." She could not work out what the
grief could be to begin with, but then she realised that it concerned a cousin of hers who
had died young, and the loss of a horse.
When she did Hatsu Rei ho in the following week, most of the discomfort had gone,
leaving only a little discomfort in the solar plexus. After the second treatment, this
disappeared, and a few days later I found that all her elements were in balance, and
none of her chakras were closed down.
This was interesting for me because the information from the chakras and the elements
indicated that there was emotional stuff to be dealt with, and that the emotion that
needed to be dealt with primarily was grief.
Case History # 1
The Bar Charts below show the element imbalances for a person who had a series of
treatments over consecutive weeks, and show how the imbalances changed - and
improved - over time.

Case History # 2
The Bar Charts overleaf show the element imbalances for a person who had a few
treatments over consecutive weeks, and show how the imbalances changed from one
session to the next.

Subjective differences between Reiki and
Five Element Treatments
Here are this person's comments about how she felt the Five Element treatments
differed from the many Reiki treatments that she had experienced in the past:
"In standard Reiki treatments the heat seems to build up whereas with Five
Element Healing it cools after a hot start. Energy travels round a lot (meridians?)
and doesn't limit itself to area where heat/hand is. It feels as if you are treating
the problem at source, getting to grips with it, more than in a standard Reiki
treatment.
"After the treatments you feel as if you've had an energy transfusion. After an
emotional release the effects of Five Element Healing tend to be more subtle and
delayed, and you seem to feel flattened and unsettled for a while.
"Quite different was the sensation of being a clear glass vessel, with everything
inside running smoothly and in harmony - to the extent that (this is going to sound
as if I have lost it!) I was not aware of being confined in my physical body, but
able to look and project outwards because it was existing effortlessly. This
happened after nearly all sessions.
"Standard Reiki treatments gave a boost to my creativity but Five Element

Healing was more focused and purposeful. There was a feeling that there were
no physical limits to what could be achieved.
"Like my Reiki attunements, Five Element Healing gave me an altered

perspective, a feeling of being very much part of a bigger picture."

I looked at my client's elements at the end of the first treatment and they are fine.
Do I need to carry on with more treatments?
The state of someone's elements (like the state of their chakras) reflect a trend within
that person, and I don't have the impression that they flap frantically from excess to
depletion from one minute to the next... unless something quite drastic like an
attunement or a five element treatment happened. When you start treating people using
the five element system you will be looking at the state of their elements at weekly
intervals; what happens to the elements from one day to another, from one minute to
another, or from the start to the end of a treatment, is not so important. The 'ripples' that
you produce are not so important: what is important is how the elements change over a
longer period, and the state that they hold after the treatments have finished.
You will need to carry out a series of treatments to produce a long term beneficial
change in terms of someone's elements.
“I have been practising Five Element Healing on a number of my regular clients and they
all notice a marked difference to a regular Reiki treatment. They find it much more
intense/powerful. From my point of view I find I can get down to much deeper issues.”
Jeannie, England

Summary of
Treatment Technique
The Five Element approach is based on three distinct phases:
1. Diagnosing energy imbalances in the elements

2. Bringing the elements into balance
3. Systematically sending each of the five energies into the associated organs
Diagnosing imbalances
Using palpation of the Hara, and/or feeling the energies over the Hara, you can gauge
whether there is too much or too little chi in each element. This approach focuses one on
the element with the greatest excess, or the greatest deficiency, of chi, and cannot really
be used to discern more subtle gradations of imbalance.
A pendulum can be used to confirm the result of the above two tests, and can also be
used to determine fine gradations in imbalance.
Knowledge of Oriental diagnosis may give visual clues that may reinforce your original
impression, though visual facial diagnosis is beyond the scope of this course. See the
recommended book list at the end of this manual for further reading.
What you know of the person, or what you can glean from what they say about their
thoughts, emotions, physical problems etc. may help to reinforce your original
impression, based on what you know of the various correspondences of each element.
This manual gives a good overview of the each element's correspondences, and I also
recommend a few books on this subject.
Balancing the elements

Having determined which elements are most out of balance, the first stage of Five
Element treatments is to bring the elements into balance, so they are locked together
and stable, ready for the intense energy work that follows.
To bring an element into balance, there are two approaches needed, depending on
whether there is too much or too little chi in the element concerned. In both cases, you
are intending to produce balance that is appropriate for the individual that you are
treating.
If there is too little chi in an element then you do this:

4. Draw down energy from that symbol into the 'organs'
If there is too much chi in an element then you do this:

4. Using hand-movements, or intent, or creative visualisation, withdraw chi from the
element/'organs'
For the other elements, simply rest your hands on the associated organ pairs and intend
that Reiki is helping you to produce balance by either boosting or depleting the chi in that
element, as necessary.
If you have dowsed in detail, then you will know whether each element needs to be
boosted or depleted.
Once the elements are in balance, then they are 'stable', and it is safe to move on to
flushing five element energies into each organ pair in turn. If you don't start by finding out
where the biggest imbalances are, and getting the elements into a reasonable state of
balance first, then using the five element energies can create greater imbalances.
Working on Organ pairs

Now we can carry out the main part of the treatment, starting with 5-10 minutes resting
our hands on the shoulders to get Reiki flowing and bringing the client into a nice relaxed
state.
What we are going to do is to connect with the pairs of 'organs' that represent each
element, send the corresponding five element energy through them. We will concentrate
(spend more time) on the elements that were most out of balance, or the elements that
we feel need more attention based on what has happened during previous treatments.
We will take about 50 minutes to complete the sequence, giving a treatment lasting
about an hour.
Follow this order:
(1) Channel wood energy into the liver and gall bladder.
Rest both hands, overlapping each other, over the liver area.
This is on the right side of the recipient's upper abdomen, wrapping round the
side of the torso where the rib cage stops.
(2) Channel fire energy into the heart and small intestine.

Rest one hand over the heart (or hover your hand in the case of a lady).
Rest the other hand on the upper abdomen.
(3) Channel earth energy into the stomach and spleen/pancreas.

Rest both hands, slightly overlapping each other, on the upper abdomen.
Stomach is to the left side of the recipient's upper abdomen.
Spleen is on the left side of the recipient's torso, where the rib cage stops.
(4) Channel metal energy into the lungs and large intestine.
Rest one hand on one side of the lower abdomen, and the other hand hovers
over the opposite lung.
Now swap over, and deal with the other side of the large intestine and other lung.
(5) Channel water energy into the kidney and bladder.

Rest one hand on the centre of the lower abdomen.
Slide the other hand slightly underneath the lower back, where the ribcage stops.
Intend that you are connecting with the other kidney at the same time.
Alternatively, swap over half way and contact the other kidney, and bladder.
Perhaps finish the treatment by resting your hands on the feet/ankles for a while, a nice
way to bring things to a close.

I have found that Reiki balances my elements
Do not be surprised if Reiki has a balancing effect on the elements. It works to balance
the chakras, so you would expect it to have an effect on elements too. But balancing the
elements is only a small part of the picture. Using the Five Element system you can
balance someone's elements in a few minutes, and eventually you will learn to be able to
do this 'at the click of a finger'. Balancing the elements is an intermediate stage, and on
it's own is unlikely to produce a long-term effect. But once someone has balanced
elements, then you can progress to the main part of a five element treatment, which is to
use the five energies intensely, flushing them through the corresponding organs,
sending the energy deep to balance all the associations of each element, and producing
more long-term balance.

Recommended
Reading
Traditional Acupuncture: The Law of the Five Elements

Dianne M Connelly
Traditional Acupuncture Institute 1994
ISBN 0-912381-03-5
Macrobiotic Palm Healing

Michio Kushi with Olivia Oredson
Japan Publications Inc. 1988
ISBN 0-87040-672-8
Anyone Can Dowse for Better Health

Arthur Bailey
Quantum 1999
ISBN 0-572-02461-4
How to See Your Health: Book of Oriental Diagnosis

Michio Kushi
Japan Publications Inc. 1980
ISBN 0-87040-467-9

Appendix
Dowsing Grid

Five Element hand-movements
Recently I read a book called 'The Way of Healing' where Lam Kam Chuen describes a
series of hand movements that can be used for healing purposes. The book is about Chi
Kung and the hand movements are part of Chi Kung healing. These movements are
designed to be made through direct contact with the recipient, not in the energy field
above the recipient, though I believe that they can be done that way with the same intent
and that is the way that I use them. They seem very effective.
Each of the hand movements are described in terms of the five elements of Traditional
Chinese Medicine, and are to be used to achieve particular purposes. There are a
number of seemingly similar techniques that are mentioned by Hiroshi Doi, I believe, as
being practised by the Usui Reiki Ryoho Gakkai, and their names are similar to the sort
of movements described below.
Below I run through the main techniques and how and why they are to be used,
according to Lam Kam Chuen.
Earth Energy
The hand movements are as follows:
• Clockwise movements of your whole hand over the point of pain and surrounding
area
• Anticlockwise movements of your whole hand over the point of pain and surrounding
area
• Side-to-side 'brushing' movements over the point of pain and surrounding area
Earth energy massage is used to relax the body and quiet the mind. At the beginning of
a treatment of a particular part of the body it is like a gentle warm-up, and, at the end, a
cooling-down. No advice is given as to when clockwise or anticlockwise movements are
indicated, other than to go with what feels right on each occasion.
Water Energy
• Pressing down with the whole hand on and around the affected area
• Vibrating the palm on and around the affected area
• Vibrating the thumb on and around the affected area
Water finds its lowest level and moves downwards. Water massage movements are
designed to induce chi to move down and away from areas of congestion, for example
areas of swelling and pain. The vibrations can be seen as setting up a pattern of
vibrations or ripples in a pond. Applying pressure can again be seen as a way of forcing
chi to move downwards, away from the area of congestion.

Wood Energy
• Stroking with your whole hand away from a central point, like spokes radiating away
from a central hub
• Stroking away from a central point using your thumb
The idea here is that following an injury or sharp blow to the body, chi will flow to the
area to provide support and protection but may become blocked as it builds up. To deal
with this blockage, wood movements - away from the centre - can be used to disperse
blocked and congested chi.
Metal Energy
• Stroking with your whole hand towards a central point, like spokes radiating towards
a central hub
• Stroking towards a central point using your thumb, or the tips of a few fingers
• Making a series of very small circles, working inwards along the 'spoke' towards the
central point. No guidance is given regarding clockwise or anticlockwise movements.
Metal movements are seen to be useful when an injury or inner disturbance has caused
chi to disperse. The example is given of blood draining away from an area, leaving it
weak and cold. Your intention is to draw chi into the affected area.
Fire Energy
• Press down firmly with your palm to penetrate the area below, and then abruptly
withdraw your hand upwards as if unblocking a drain with a plunger. Do this several
times.
Fire energy is seen as penetrating but also moving upwards. Chinese Doctors use heat
to draw 'poison' from the body, for example 'cupping', using heated glass bowls. The
book says that as one develops one's practice of Chi Kung, one would be able to do the
same thing using the heat of one's open palm. Reiki people already have hot palms!
The abrupt and forceful movement of your hand away from the body can be seen as
using a magnet to extract energies blocked under the skin or deeper within the body.

Practical examples
Bruises
The stagnant blood, swelling and pain of a bruise are taken as indicating that chi has
rushed to the area of injury, in a Metal fashion, and become blocked and congested. To
relieve the congestion, do this:
1. Earth energy massage

2. Wood energy massage to disperse chi
Twists and Sprains
The swelling and possible internal bleeding are seen as indications that energy has
rushed in to the area, generating heat. The following sequence is said to release this
build-up of energy, reduce the pain and the swelling:
1. Hold hands on either side of the affected part, to enclose the area in a healing force-
field
2. Use Earth energy massage
3. Use Water energy massage to help reduce the swelling
4. Use Wood energy massage to disperse excess energy that has become blocked
5. Finish with Earthy energy massage
Backaches
1. Rest your hand on either side of the affected area for a while
2. Start with an Earth energy massage to reduce tension and calm the person's mind
3. Use Wood and Water massage together in one movement by using vibrating hand
movements that radiate away from the affected area
4. Use Fire energy massage to 'unblock' the congested area
5. Finish with Earth energy massage
Headaches
1. Massage the temples using the fingertips. Use Earth and Water energy massage by
pressing and making small circles 36 times
2. Use Wood energy massage to disperse chi by making strokes from the temples,
behind the ears to the base of the skull by the neck six times
3. Use Earth and Water energy massage on the base of the skull/top of the neck by
pressing inward and making small circles 36 times
4. Use Earth energy massage by 'washing' your head and face for a minute

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ReikiEvolution

Professional Healing Courses

Five Element Healing

SECTION 1: BACKGROUND INFORMATION ..................................................................................... 5

FIVE ELEMENT SYMBOLS ................................................................................................................... 39

FIVE ELEMENT SELF-TREATMENTS ............................................................................................... 50

Five Element Healing © Taggart King 2001, 2002, 2003 1

PERCEIVING SOMEONE’S ELEMENTS............................................................................................. 62

BALANCING THE ELEMENTS ............................................................................................................. 78

Five Element Healing © Taggart King 2001, 2002, 2003 2

Five Element Healing © Taggart King 2001, 2002, 2003 3

With best wishes to you,

Five Element Healing © Taggart King 2001, 2002, 2003 4

Five Element Healing © Taggart King 2001, 2002, 2003 5

The linking thread is the theory of Traditional Chinese Medicine.

Five Element Healing © Taggart King 2001, 2002, 2003 6

Basic Components of TCM

These are the components:

• Yin and Yang

Yin and Yang

To live in harmony with Yin and Yang means life.

We do not focus on the idea of Yin and Yang on this course.

The Vital Substances

Five Element Healing © Taggart King 2001, 2002, 2003 7

These are the vital substances:

Qi is familiar to Reiki practitioners! It is called Ki in Japanese. It is the energy that

We do not need to know about these various kinds if Qi on this course.

Five Element Healing © Taggart King 2001, 2002, 2003 8

Five Element Healing © Taggart King 2001, 2002, 2003 9

Ultimately, everything in the universe is Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal or Water.

Five Element Healing © Taggart King 2001, 2002, 2003 10

The Nourishment Cycle

The Control Cycle

Five Element Healing © Taggart King 2001, 2002, 2003 11

The Control Cycle

Five Element Healing © Taggart King 2001, 2002, 2003 12

The Simplicity of Five Element Healing

The Meridian System and 'Organs'

Five Element Healing © Taggart King 2001, 2002, 2003 13

Five Element Healing © Taggart King 2001, 2002, 2003 14

Five Element Healing © Taggart King 2001, 2002, 2003 15

• Constipation may be connected with suppressed grief.

The Emotions of the Elements

In traditional Chinese medicine the emphasis is on balance, so none of the seven

Five Element Healing © Taggart King 2001, 2002, 2003 16

Emotional imbalances in Wood can be expressed in different ways. For example,

Five Element Healing © Taggart King 2001, 2002, 2003 17

Five Element Healing © Taggart King 2001, 2002, 2003 18

The basic emotion of Earth is sympathy or compassion, so an imbalance in Earth can

Five Element Healing © Taggart King 2001, 2002, 2003 19

So a serious imbalance in Water can show itself as panic attacks, paranoia, a

Five Element Healing © Taggart King 2001, 2002, 2003 20

Wood: Planning and Decision-Making

Five Element Healing © Taggart King 2001, 2002, 2003 21

Fire: Controlling, Sifting, Protecting and Warming

If Shen is confused or lacking in energy then it is noticeable in unclear thinking or an

Five Element Healing © Taggart King 2001, 2002, 2003 22

Five Element Healing © Taggart King 2001, 2002, 2003 23

Earth: Distribution and Ripening

Five Element Healing © Taggart King 2001, 2002, 2003 24

Five Element Healing © Taggart King 2001, 2002, 2003 25

So in practice, Earth imbalances could show as various disorders of the digestive

On a different note, disturbances in the natural rhythm of life point to an Earth

Metal: Receiving and Waste Disposal